Cricket is a gentleman’s game and players play passionately for their country. It is a matter of pride for them to wear their national jersey and keep on performing consistently for them. Some world-class players have graced the game of cricket and have played for a long time and have brought great laurels to their country. USA being the associate nation in cricket, it has refurbished its cricketing strategy to develop cricket among the Americans.
However, there also have been some other players who couldn’t quite get consistent opportunities for their country and thus had to change their base to another country to find more opportunities. Here are a list of 10 players who left their country to play for USA.
10 cricketers who left their country and joined USA
1. Xavier Marshall
Xavier Marshall made his debut for the West Indies in 2005 and played 24 ODIs for them, scoring 375 runs. He also broke the record for the most number of sixes hit in an ODI innings when he scored 157* versus Canada.
Having tested positive in a doping test in 2008, Marshall never played again for the West Indies. In March 2019, he made his T20I debut for the USA and the net month, he became the 7th player to play for two countries as he made his ODI debut. He played 13 ODIs for USA so far and would be happy to be playing international cricket, something that was not possible regularly for the West Indies.
2. Dane Piedt
Dane Piedt was once a promising right-arm off-spinner for South Africa and also played 9 Tests for them between the years 2014 to 2019-20. However, not being consistent in the frame of things obviously unsettled him and he announced his retirement in March 2020 from South African cricket.
Piedt has currently shifted his base from South Africa to USA and is fulfilling the criteria to one day represent the USA national team.
3. Corey Anderson
At one point in time, Corey Anderson was a dangerous all-rounder and was an important part of the New Zealand cricket setup. He was crucial in their run to the final of the 2015 World Cup and continued to play all three formats for New Zealand.
However, his form declined with time and the rise of other all-rounders like Colin de Grandhomme made his selection in the team more difficult. The 29-year-old last played a game for the Kiwis back in 2018.
Thus, recently he announced his retirement from international cricket and has signed a three-year contract with USA cricket. He will also be taking part in the Major League Cricket (MLC), an American franchise T20 league which is set to have its inaugural season in 2022.
4. Sami Aslam
Sami Aslam was once certainty in Pakistan’s Test setup. He played 13 Tests for Pakistan to go with the 4 ODIs that he represented his country in. However, the lack of consistent chances forced him to think about a move away from home.
Sami Aslam then committed himself to USA cricket and will be another player featuring in the MLC in 2022.
5. Juan Theron
Juan Theron is a right-arm fast bowler who played for South Africa till 2015 and then made himself eligible for playing for USA in 2019. Having played only 4 ODIs and 9 T20Is for the Proteas, Theron realized he was not going to get many chances of playing international cricket with the Proteas already having the likes of Steyn, Morkel, etc. and also as he was injury-prone.
Thus, he decided to take a jump and decided to play for the USA for which he was eligible in 2019. He has played 9 ODIs for the USA and is yet to make an appearance for them in T20Is.
6. Willem Ludick
Willem Ludick has been born in South Africa but has played domestic cricket in New Zealand for the Central Stags. But lack of opportunities combined with other external factors made him move to Texas. He is now keen on fulfilling his criteria for representing the USA national team.
7. Cameron Gannon
Cameron Gannon is an Australian by birth and played his domestic cricket for Queensland. He also signed for the Brisbane Heat in 2012 and showcased his skills in the Big Bash League.
However, he couldn’t grab any eyeballs and decided to make a move to the USA for international opportunities. His mother is an American, which helped him easily qualify for the USA, for whom he has played 4 T20Is so far, making his debut in 2019.
8. Cameron Stevenson
Cameron Stevenson was another Australian cricketer who played domestic cricket for Tasmania since 2016. In the same year, he also played for the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League.
In 2019, limited opportunities mean that Stevenson had to find a home somewhere else and he found it in the USA. He has played 7 ODIs for USA so far having made his debut against UAE in December 2019.
9. Ian Holland
Ian Holland is the third Australian on this list and has played domestic cricket both in Australia for Victoria in 2016 and in England for Hampshire in 2017.
Having made his ODI debut for USA in December 2019, Holland has played 8 matches so far and is finally getting the opportunity to play international cricket, thanks to USA.
10. Aaron James
Aaron James is another West Indies player who went to USA in search of consistent international cricket. He has already played 13 ODis and 8 T20Is for the USA and will be hopeful of a stable international career.
