The popularity of cricket in the subcontinent is no secret. Millions of people throng to the stadiums whenever a cricket match is played in the subcontinent. There exists a youth in every house who aspires to play cricket internationally for his country. Due to the intense competition in their country of origin, a lot of individuals immigrate to other cricket-playing nations such as England, Australia, and South Africa.
There have been a few players from Pakistan who have gone onto represent their new countries in international cricket. We look at 5 such players.
Moeen Ali
Ali is of Pakistan descent. His grandfather migrated to England and got married a Briton. Ali was born and brought up in England. He started playing county cricket for Warwickshire and made his international debut for England in 2012. He offers decent off-breaks and handy batting at no. 7.
Sikander Raza
He was born in Sialkot, Pakistan, and harbored a dream of becoming a fighter pilot. However, this dream could not fructify due to an eye issue. After university, Raza moved to Zimbabwe and began playing first-class cricket. Raza made his ODI and Test debut in 2013 for his adopted country. He has been a dynamic all-rounder and has the potential to soar to new heights.
Usman Khawaja
Khawaja has been a top-order batsman for Australia. He is of Pakistan descent and was the first Muslim to debut for Australia. Khawaja made his debut in 2011 and ever since, has been in and out of the team. He became an integral part of the squad in 2018 after the one-year ban imposed on Smith and Warner. However, since the duo returned to the squad, Khawaja has found it tough to find a place in the XI. His left-handed batting has been mesmerizing at times. His innings against Pakistan in UAE in 2018 where he salvaged a draw on the final remains his most memorable innings.
Imran Tahir
Tahir was born in Lahore, Pakistan. Tahir realized that his scope of selection in the Pakistan team, which boasted of quality spinners at that time, was negligible. Therefore, he moved to South Africa and made his test debut for the Proteas in 2011. He has become an indispensable part of the white ball South African team. In 2017, at the age of 37, he became the world’s number 1 bowler in white-ball cricket. Even after crossing 40 years, he continues to play for South Africa and is a vital cog in the team.
Adil Rashid
Rashid made his debut for England in T20 and ODI in 2009 but then had an interim period of six years when he did not play for England. Rashid did play a few tests for England but the 2016 sub-continent tour was his last major series. He could not deliver what England was looking for from him. However, he has grown in white-ball cricket and he has gone on to play more than 100 ODIs for England. Today, he is an integral part of the ODI and T20 squads.
