Cricketers Who Started as Bowlers But Turned into Legendary Batsmen

Players have the chance to redefine themselves and their positions when they participate in team sports, particularly in cricket.

There have been players who began his career as bowlers or batsmen but later converted to all-rounders since all-rounders are vital to a team’s balance and are always in demand. Even in international cricket, a few cricketers began their careers as bowlers before realising they had batting ability and rising to legendary status.

Let’s have a look at those cricketers who started as bowling but turn into legendary batsman

1. Steve Smith

The fact that Steve Smith joined the Australian side in 2010 as a leg-spinner as the team attempted to replace Shane Warne is an issue that is often brought up when discussing Smith’s career. By 2012, though, it was clear that Smith was a special batsman, and by the end of the 2014 Ashes, he had made a strong case for himself as a future great batter. Smith was being praised as the greatest Test batsman since Don Bradman by the end of the 2019 Ashes.

Steve Smith is a double Ashes champion, a two-time ODI World Cup winner, a T20 World Cup winner, and a player with over 16,000 international runs. He presently averages 58 in Test cricket.

2. Ravi Shastri

In 1981, batting at number ten, Ravi Shastri made his debut in the Test match as a lower-order batter and spinner. Shastri advanced up the order and established himself as a key member of India’s top order as he demonstrated his skill with the bat. As Shastri developed his left-arm spin, he quickly became a true all-round player. He was a member of the winning team in the 1983 World Cup and won the Champion of Champions title in the 1985 World Championship of Cricket held in Australia. He played for India in 230 international matches.

3. Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi is one of the few batters who has the ability to hit the ball with such force. However, the Pakistani athlete had started off as a pinch-hitter and leg-spinner for his country. He quickly gained the moniker “Boom Boom Afridi” for his hard-hitting exploits, and the Pakistani fans permanently adopted him.

Afridi participated in 398 ODIs, 99 T20Is, and 27 Tests. During those matches, he amassed over 11,000 runs and 541 wickets. He led Pakistan to the T20 World Championship in 2009 and was named Player of the Tournament in the 2007 T20 World Cup.

4. Sanath Jayasuriya

Sanath Jayasuriya is Sri Lanka’s third-highest international run scorer ever with 20966 runs. In addition to his impressive career total of 440 international wickets, Jayasuriya is regarded as one of the best all-around players in cricket history.

As a left-arm spinner with the capacity to deliver a few powerful hits, Jayasuriya entered the side. His batting prowess was fully appreciated in 1996 when he began opening and led Sri Lanka to victory in the World Cup. From then on, his ferociousness as a batter was constantly experienced by the world.

5. Shoaib Malik

Among the greatest examples on this list is the former captain of Pakistan, Shoaib Malik. In 1999, Shoaib Malik made his debut in the One-Day Internationals as an off-spinner, batting at number ten! Everyone took some time to recognise that Malik had a lot of batting ability, including himself. Additionally, he finished his career with 12938 runs, which was sixth most for his nation. In international cricket, Malik also claimed more than 200 wickets.

Also Read: 5 Cricketers With Most ICC Awards