10 India-Born Cricketers Who Played for Other Countries

In this article, we consider 10 batsmen who were born in India but played international cricket for other countries. While three players on the list represented Pakistan, the other seven played for England. Interestingly, eight of them were born in British India (prior to 15 August 1947) while two were born after India had become independent.

1. Asif Iqbal (Played for Pakistan)

Asif Iqbal was born on 6 June 1943 in Hyderabad State of British India. Iqbal, who was an all-rounder, batted right-handed and bowled right-arm medium, represented Pakistan in Tests and ODIs between 1964 and 1980. In 58 Test matches, Iqbal made 3575 runs at 38.85, with 11 hundreds and 12 fifties, including his top score of 175. He also took 53 wickets at 28.33, with the best bowling figures of 5/48. In 10 ODIs, Asif scored 330 runs at 55.00, with five half-centuries, including a top score of 62. He also took 16 wickets at 23.62, with the best bowling figures of 4/56.

2. Bob Woolmer (Played for England)

Woolmer was born on 14 May 1948 in Kanpur, United Province, after India had become independent. He represented England internationally from 1972 to 1981. An all-rounder, Bob batted right-handed and bowled right-arm medium pace. He played 19 Test matches in which he scored 1059 runs at 33.09, with 3 tons and 2 fifties, including a top score of 149. Additionally, he took 4 wickets at 74.75, with the best bowling figures of 1/8. In 6 ODIs, Woolmer scored 21 runs at 5.25 and took 9 wickets at 28.88, with the best figures of 3/33.

3. Colin Cowdrey (Played for England)

Cowdrey was born on 24 December 1932 in Ootacamund, Madras Presidency in British India. A right-handed top-order batsman and occasional leg spin bowler, Cowdrey went on to play international cricket for England between 1954 and 1975, becoming, in the process, the first player to feature in 100 Tests. In 114 Tests, he scored 7624 runs at 44.06, with 22 tons and 38 fifties, including a top score of 182. Cowdrey played just one ODI in which he made just one run.

4. Douglas Jardine (Played for England)

Jardine was born on 23 October 1900 in Bombay Presidency of British India. He represented England in Test cricket between 1928 and 1934. A top order right-handed batsman, Douglas played 22 matches in which he scored 1296 runs at 48.00, with one century and 10 fifties, including a top score of 127. Jardine gained worldwide notoriety for leading England in the infamous bodyline series against Australia during which he ordered his fast bowler Larwood to target the body of every rival batsman. The tactic was mainly aimed at negating the brilliance of Australian star batsman Don Bradman.

5. Hanif Mohammad (Played for Pakistan)

Born on 21 December 1934 in the princely state of Junagadh in British India, Hanif Mohammad was a right-handed top-order batsman and occasional off-break bowler who played Test cricket for Pakistan from 1952 to 1969. In 55 matches, Hanif made 3915 runs at 43.98, with 12 tons and 15 fifties, including a top score of 337. He also took one wicket at 95.00, with the best bowling figures of 1/1. Hanif gained a reputation for being a technically correct batsman and set a record for the longest ever Test innings — occupying the crease for 970 minutes — when he made 337 against West Indies in the 1957/58 season. He also had held the record for the highest first-class score of 499 for 35 years before it was broken by Brian Lara in 1994.

6. KS Duleepsinhji (Played for England)

Duleepsinhji, the nephew of Ranjitsinhji, was born on 13 June 1905 in Nawanagar State, in Kathiawar, British India. His talent was recognised during his school days in England and, like his uncle, he went on to represent England internationally. In 12 Tests between 1929 and 1931, he scored 995 runs at 58.52, with 3 tons and 5 fifties, including a top score of 173. Like his uncle, Duleepsinhji had an Indian first-class competition, the Duleep Trophy, named after him.

7. KS Ranjitsinhji (Played for England)

KS Ranjitsinhji, the ruler of the Indian princely state of Nawanagar, was born on 18 September 1872 in Kathiawar. Considered one of the greatest batsmen of all time, the right-handed Ranjitsinhji played Test cricket for England between 1896 and 1902. He scored 989 runs in 15 Tests at 44.95, with 2 tons and 6 fifties, including a top score of 175. An occasional right-arm slow bowler, Ranjitsinhji took one Test wicket at 39.00, with the best bowling figures of 1/23. A first-class tournament in India, the Ranji Trophy, was named after him.

8. Majid Khan (Played for Pakistan)

Majid Khan, a right-handed top-order batsman and the uncle of former Pakistan captain and current Prime Minister Imran Khan, was born on 28 September 1946 in Ludhiana, Punjab. He played Tests and ODIs for Pakistan between 1964 and 1983. In 63 Tests, Majid scored 3931 runs at 38.92, with 8 tons and 19 fifties and a top score of 167. An occasional off break bowler, he also took 27 wickets at 53.92, with the best figures of 4/45. In 23 ODIs, Khan scored 786 runs at 37.42, with one ton and 7 fifties, including a top score of 109. He also took 13 wickets at 28.76, with the best figures of 3/27.

9. Nasser Hussein (Played for England)

Nasser Hussein was born on 28 March 1968 in Madras (now known as Chennai). A top-order right-handed batsman and occasional leg break bowler, Hussein played Tests and ODIs for England from 1989 to 2004. He scored 5764 runs in 96 Tests at 37.18, with 14 tons and 34 fifties and a top score of 207. In 88 ODIs, Nasser scored 2332 runs at 30.28, with one ton and 15 fifties, including a top score of 115. He also took 2 ODI wickets at 161.50, with the best bowling figures of 1/38.

10. Robin Jackman (Played for England)

Jackman, a right-arm fast medium bowler who played for England between 1974 and 1983, was born in Shimla, British India, on 13 August 1945. In 4 Tests, Robin took 14 wickets at 31.78, with the best figures of 4/110. In 15 ODIs, Jackman took 19 wickets at 31.47, with the best returns of 3/41.