The advent of T20 cricket has enhanced the popularity of the sport across the globe. Since new nations are taking up the sport, the opportunity has arisen for cricketers to switch nations so that they could get to play in ICC-staged fixtures consistently. The pathways have also been made smoother for players to exercise this option. On that note, in this article, we take a look at five popular players who have played for two International teams in T20Is so far.
1) Ed Joyce – England and Ireland
Statistics For England: Years – 2006 to 2007 || Matches – 1 || Runs – 1 || Avg – 1
Statistics For Ireland: Years – 2012 to 2014 || Matches – 16 || Runs – 404 || Avg – 36.72
Ed Joyce is the first cricketer to join this list of players who have played for two International teams in T20Is. After impressing in youth stages and ICC Trophy levels for Ireland, Joyce made clear his intention to play for England. In the 2007 World Cup, he represented England. A year ago, in 2006, he had made his T20I debut for the nation.
However, after his form got inconsistent, and the English selectors sidelined him, the southpaw made the switch back to Ireland. In fact, he was part of the Irish squad for the 2011 World Cup. A year later, he made his T20I debut for Ireland and played 16 matches for his birth nation.
2) Luke Ronchi – Australia and New Zealand
Statistics For Australia: Years – 2008 to 2009 || Matches – 3 || Runs – 47 || Avg – 23.50
Statistics For New Zealand: Years – 2013 to 2017 || Matches – 29 || Runs – 312 || Avg – 18.35
Born in New Zealand, Luke Ronchi‘s family moved to Australia when he was young. He played well in domestic competitions, but being a wicket-keeper, opportunities were hard to come by. After Brad Haddin had succeeded Adam Gilchrist as the wicket-keeper of the nation, Ronchi became Haddin’s deputy. The attacking player made his T20I debut against West Indies after Haddin was ruled out due to an injury.
With opportunities still scanty, the player decided to move to New Zealand. As a Kiwi, the player revitalized his international career and was part of some famous campaigns, including the 2015 World Cup when New Zealand reached the finals. In 2017, the wicket-keeper batsman announced his international retirement.
3) Dirk Nannes – Netherlands and Australia
Statistics For Netherlands: Years – 2009 || Matches – 2 || Wickets – 1 || Avg – 56
Statistics For Australia: Years – 2009 to 2010 || Matches – 15 || Wickets – 27 || Avg – 14.92
A freestyle skier initially, Dirk Nannes made his first-class debut at the age of 29. Born in Melbourne, Nannes was eligible for Dutch citizenship through his parents. Hence, he played for the Netherlands in the 2009 edition of World T20.
Nannes represented close to 15 different teams in domestic T20 leagues. After impressing in many of these stints, a call-up to Australia was obvious. A quick left-arm pacer, Nannes actually enjoyed quite a few memorable outings for the Aussies. He took the highest number of wickets in the 2010 World T20 with 14 wickets at 13.07
4) Roelof van der Merwe – South Africa and Netherlands*
Statistics For South Africa: Years – 2009 to 2010 || Matches – 13 || Runs – 57 || Wickets – 14
Statistics For Netherlands*: Years – 2015 to 2019 || Matches – 30 || Runs – 397 || Wickets – 40
Roelof van der Merwe is famously known for his stints in the initial seasons of IPL. He was part of RCB then. A South African-born cricketer, the all-rounder made his international debut for his birth nation. However, due to a lack of opportunities, the player opted for a move to the Netherlands.
He got citizenship by fulfilling the criteria, and since then, Roelof has been part of the Dutch outfit. The cricketer also features in County tournaments and is yet to call time on his career.
5) Hayden Walsh Jr. – United States and West Indies*
Statistics For United States: Years – 2019 || Matches – 8 || Wickets – 6 || Avg – 20
Statistics For West Indies*: Years – 2019 to 2020 || Matches – 8 || Wickets – 5 || Avg – 40
Hayden Walsh Jr. is one of the recent additions to this list of players who have played for two International teams in T20Is. Although his father played domestic cricket in West Indies, Walsh was born in America, and hence, he got the citizenship of the USA. After impressing in the local competitions, the leggie got to make his debut for America. He was part of the country’s first T20I fixture and also helped the nation to get ODI status.
However, after his impressive Caribbean Premier League stint in St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in 2018, the player earned an opportunity to play for West Indies. His first tournament as a Windies cricketer was in 2019 when the country toured India to take on Afghanistan. Since then, the player has been representing the two-time T20I and ODI World Cup, winners.
