By Kersi Meher-Homji
September 7th 2009 @ 1:54am
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England’s foreign-born Test cricketers
To see Adil Rashid, Ravi Bopara and Owais Shah represent England in the first one-day international (ODI) against Australia at The Oval last Friday is the inspiration behind this post.
All three have Indo – Pak origins although only Shah (6 Tests and 61 ODIs for England) was born in Karachi, Pakistan.
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Matt said | September 7th 2009 @ 4:08am | Report comment
My answer to your question would be as soon as there is a muslim player who is the best in their position in Australia. Comparing the ethnic composition of the Australian team with that of England and SA is difficult. The UK has experienced large scal migration from cricket playing cultures on a much larger scale than we have. There are literally millions of migrants from Pakistan or India (for example) who have continued to play the game. The same is true of the hundreds of thousands of South Africans who have fled SA in recent years. We don’t yet have such a large cricket playing migrant pool or anything like it. However, I hear this might be changing.
Freud of Football said | September 7th 2009 @ 6:17am | Report comment
Very interesting article. I’ve given a few Pommie friends some stick for KP and Panesar, telling them they get other countries rejects but I didn’t realise there was quite so many players that had represented England born overseas.
There is one thing that would aid in explaining why, apart from Matt’s rather correct analysis and that is England have had 645 Test Cricketers compared to Australia’s 411. English cricket sides are rarely as stable as Australian sides who prefer to give players a chance once they have reached the highest level to prove themselves.
I think I’ll stick to my view that KP shouldn’t play for England, just because he’s unhappy at the racial quota’s in SAF and he found a loophole doesn’t mean he shouldn’t turn out for just anyone. He is clearly South African, he spent literally his entire childhood there and would have played for them given the chance.
dasilva said | September 7th 2009 @ 6:46pm | Report comment
Panesar is born in England
Under ICC rule he isn’t even allow to represent India at all (they don’t have parent or grand parent rule that FIFA has which I like)
So if you do give Englishman some stick about foreign players representing England. You should omit Panesar from that list.
dasilva said | September 7th 2009 @ 7:06pm | Report comment
People migrate out of their country for many different reasons. Some of them economics, some for different lifestyles, some as refugees, some for job, some due to disgruntlement with the home country.
I don’t think we can start distinguishing what reason is a “real” or “legitimate” reason to migrate. You migrate to another country, you live there for 5 years (ICC rules state that you have to live in the country for 5 years as well as spending 50% + 1 days of the years living in that country before you can change nationality). then you have every right to call yourself that nationality. The fact is, you wouldn’t call yourself the nationality of the place you migrate if you didn’t have some degree of affinity with that country
KP left South Africa because he was unhappy with racial quotas. However perhaps he chose to stay in England and represent England because after he migrated there, he actually like the country.
deeron said | September 10th 2009 @ 11:57pm | Report comment
KP has an English mother and has consequently always been a British citizen. He was eligible to play cricket for England from the day he was born. Same goes for Jonathan Trott – who has an English father. They could’ve chosen to play for either South Africa or England and I’m cool with that. Also, Prior and Strauss (whilst both born in SA to mixed-nationality parents) moved to England when they were children – in what way are they “rejects” for having moved to England with their mum and dad before their teens? I wouldn’t ever describe Andrew Symonds as an English reject, would you?
By the way, KP left SA as much for the fact that he was considered an unexceptional spin bowler (not good enough for a pro contract) as the quota system. He didn’t develop into a batsman until he played lower league and County Cricket in England…
Dave said | September 14th 2009 @ 5:55pm | Report comment
Citizenship is not a criteria for playing for another country. So he was not eligible to play for England from the day he was born. Citizenship allowed him to play county cricket which then allowed him to fill the criteria of playing in England for 4 years. He had to wait 4 years before he could play for England.
http://l.yimg.com/t/icccricket/pdfs/player_eligibility.pdf
sheek said | September 7th 2009 @ 9:41am | Report comment
I vaguely remember back around the bi-centenary year (1988), ‘The Australian’ newspaper postulated about an Australian cricket XI 20 years hence (now!) & what it might look like. I think they borrowed directly from the Socceroos XI of the day. From memory, there were only 2-3 Anglo-Saxon names, the rest being Indo-Paki & Eastern European.
Of course, nothing of the sort has occurred, which doesn’t mean it won’t! We’re already witnessing rugby union & rugby league teams filling with islander names.
I guess another question begs – what constitutes an Englishman, or an Australian, for that matter? The answer becomes increasingly blurred.
I’ve always argued Australia began, rightly or wrongly, as a predominately Western European race & culture, English speaking, christian religion society. Minorities are welcome as long as they integrate into the mainstream, & not vice-versa.
My two God-children are half-chinese, but everything about them – accent, thought patterns, etc – is Australian. My wife is 2nd generation christian Lebanese, but apart from her appearance, is Australian in every word & mode of behaviour.
Myself, I was born in PNG to Aussie parents, but try telling me I’m anything other than an Aussie. I can’t help where I was born!
There was an English comedian in the early 70s (they had heaps of them then) Dick Emery, who played this character, an Indian gentleman sitting on a park bench, who was more English than the English in his speech & mannerisms.
But I guess I’m getting off topic!!!!!
Len Pascoe (Durtanovich) may have had Eastern European roots, but was as Aussie as they come in his demeanour.
dasilva said | September 7th 2009 @ 7:58pm | Report comment
I agree that Australia is an English speaking country
The rest I have some reservations
I like to think that Australia is a liberal country that values freedom and the individuals (we are a democracy). Therefore allows diversity of thoughts, behaviour and opinions (within moral limits of course).
So I tend to think that no matter how you behave, what you think, what you believe. If you are born in Australia or lived in Australia for majority or large periods of your life. You are Australian irrespective of your cultural, racial or religious backgrounds. This may seem controversial, but you are also are not the country of your parents birth unless you actually live in that country.
I tend to not put many personal characteristics in what it means to be Australian.
sledgeross said | September 7th 2009 @ 10:10am | Report comment
Yeah sheek, but Lenny was from that notorious bastian of white australia, bankstown
Kersi Meher-Homji said | September 7th 2009 @ 10:18am | Report comment
I enjoy your comments, Sheek. They are often deeper than the articles you comment on.
I am born in India and have lived in Australia since 1970. But still have not lost my accent! It is difficult to take sides when Australia plays India in cricket, hockey or tennis because I belong to both the countries.
Yes, the Indian ‘pakka’ sahibs are more English than the English!
sheek said | September 7th 2009 @ 10:37am | Report comment
Kersi,
Thank you. There is an Australian country singer Graham Connors, I think his name is. His father-in-law (I think) was Italian, & Connors wrote a song about his father-in-law saying home is not where you’re born, but where you want to die.
I guess that really sums it up. We have no control over where we are born. But where you want to die determines what nationality you really are!
Kersi Meher-Homji said | September 7th 2009 @ 10:52am | Report comment
Interesting, Sheek.
Now I’ll have to research as to where England’s Test cricketers passed away!
Brett McKay said | September 7th 2009 @ 11:38am | Report comment
Great topic Kersi, and it is very interesting that the Australian team remains largely Anglo, despite the large Asian and sub-continental populations within Australia. Sure, some players have overseas heritage eg Simon Katich, but of the most part, we’re all born and bred.
I’m actually quite surprised we haven’t seen someone from Indian or particularly Sri Lankan origin come through the ranks. There must be a “Singhas” or “Tigers” team in most sub-district comps around the country, so I would’ve thought some talent came through from these origins.
One thing I will say, whenever I’ve come up against a sub-continental opponent, the competition is fierce but fair, and always greeted with a handshake and smile at the end of the day..
Dave said | September 8th 2009 @ 8:29pm | Report comment
Anglo I’d prefer anglo-celtic. They are Australian cricketers, you say Katich has overseas heritage, I think both his parents were born in Australia while Shane Warnes mum is from Germany and Stuart Clarkes parents are Indian.
Tifosi said | September 7th 2009 @ 11:53am | Report comment
The Australian cricket team is whiter than white bread.
I did see a tv article about how cricket australia is trying to reach out to new immigrants and the local aboriginal population. Its about time.
However, i really wonder how the Australian public would take to having players of sub-continent descent playing for Australia.
Viscount Crouchback said | September 7th 2009 @ 11:54am | Report comment
Interesting article. I had planned to pen a few words on this topic myself, but never got around to it. The reason England has had so many foreign-born Test cricketers is, of course, Empire. It runs like a vein through the course of English history and explains so much about the country. This is why I am baffled by those such as Peter Roebuck who make such a song and dance about a couple of South Africans in the Test team. He seems to me to display a basic ignorance of England’s identity. There isn’t a nation on earth that has had such a deep and prolonged interaction with the rest of the world.
Spiro Zavos said | September 7th 2009 @ 12:00pm | Report comment
There is always the possibility of players not born in the UK playing for England because they get a chance with to play country cricket, which is a sort of recruitment agency. This applies especially to South African-born players who feel like Pietersen and others that the quota system works against white players.
The real issue is the ability of the children of migrants to strive to play for the national side. And here, until recently, I think English cricket has been reluctant to exploit the cricketing gold mine that exists in the Indian and Pakistani leagues in Yorkshire and Lancashire.
There is no impediment in Australia or NZ (Daniel Vittori and Philip Hughes, with their Italian background) for kids with a migrant background to aspire to the highest honours in cricket. But different ethnic groups do have their favourite sports. It is only recently, for instance, in New Zealand that Maori players have begun to represent in the national side. Aboriginal players, aside from a couple of standouts, have yet to make the sort of mark they have made in AFL football, rugby league and rugby union.
True Tah said | September 7th 2009 @ 4:22pm | Report comment
Spiro
whilst Australian cricket does not have a proud history in interacting with indigeonous Australians, I think the simple fact is that the best Aboriginal athletes will gravitate towards rugby league and Australian Football, traditionally the most inclusive of Australian sports.
Mick of Newie said | September 7th 2009 @ 4:04pm | Report comment
Sheek
Does that make Harold Larwood Australian.
This discussion is really about making some moral judgements, some of the players were born in the colonies to English parents and presumably returned to England sometime as a child and will have always considered themselves English (no argument from me). Some came to England with their families in search of a better life. If these players choose to play for England they should be celebrated.
The final category are those cricket migrants, who grew up elsewhere (predominantly Aust, NZ, SA or Zimb), learnt their cricket in thier home country and by some quirk of history (or judicious recruitment) became eligible to play for England. This final category are the ones that leave a nasty taste in the mouth.
This is more galling for South Africans as they have missed out on some pretty good players. Luckily for Australia in recent times we haven’t lost one that would have made it for Australia and in Andrew Symonds got the highest profile one who could have played for either in recent times.
Cricket migrants going to developing countries seems okay (that Queenslander playing for the now struggling Windies, Jon Davidson to Canada, Dirk Nannes to Netherlands) its when they go to the first world that we get a bit thingy.
sheek said | September 8th 2009 @ 4:03pm | Report comment
Mick,
Yes….. but unfortunately not at the time he was playing test cricket!!!!!
Also, Mitsuo Fuchida eventually became a US citizen, but alas, not at the time he was leading the Japanese air raid on Pearl Harbour!!!
Dave said | September 7th 2009 @ 5:13pm | Report comment
Dav Whatmore was born in Sri Lanka, Rex Sellers and Bransby Cooper were born in India and played for Australia. Both Stuart Clarkes parents are Indian.
Kersi Meher-Homji said | September 7th 2009 @ 6:36pm | Report comment
Dave,
You are spot on. How I missed out on Whatmore and Sellers is a mystery to me. Especially as Sellers was born in Bulsar, India, 26 km from where I spent my childhood in Udvada.
Stephen Smith said | September 7th 2009 @ 7:24pm | Report comment
Er……….Kostya Tszyu? Tatiana Grigorieva? Dimitri Markov? Jelena Dokic? Joe Bugner? Anastasia Rodionova? Bernard Tomic? Vic Darchinyan? Kepler Wessels? Andrew Symonds? Petero Civoniceva? George Gregan? Will Genia?
Not to mention Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, Mel Gibson, most of AC/DC and even Jimmy Barnes!
Pot, kettle!
dasilva said | September 7th 2009 @ 7:30pm | Report comment
To be honest Stephen
I don’t think this article was criticising England. If anything it was saying why doesn’t Australia has as many foreign born players in their cricket team.
It was also about the Cricket team not any other sport. So most of your example bar Symonds and Wessels was kind of irrelevent to the point.
In any case this whole foreign born things is all irrelevant to me
You live in the country for 5 years +. then you can yourself that nationality.
Ian Noble said | September 7th 2009 @ 7:57pm | Report comment
After WWII there was a shortage of labour in the UK and there was a mass migration from the Windies and in the Indian subcontinent to fill the gaps. The first generation immigrants were still loyal to their countries of the their birth, it is only through the second and third generation that they have not only been talent spotted for cricket and indeed other sports that they are prepared to play for England.
Next season Aus will play Pakistan in the UK, why because in the UK there will be a great deal of support for the Pakistani team as witnessed during the recent 20/20 WC. It has caused some difficulty as the sight of Mahmood playing for England being heckled by fellow 2nd/3rd generation Pakistanis was embarassing when England played Pakistan. These guys have shown a great deal of courage as they have been welcomed by the English cricket community while facing some criticism from their own ethic community.
On county cricket, professional cricketers want to play in a competition that gives them a great deal of cricket. Many Aussies have played and from the recent Ashes side off the top of my head, Hughes, Hussey, Katich, Watson, North, Clarke, immediately come to mind. Justin Langer is great supporter having played county cricket since he was 18. It is a great cricket educator. Of course some foreign born players will want to play for England and in the SA connection, Trotts parents are English, his father coaches cricket at an English school, Strauss’s parents are English, Petiersens mother is English and it will go on. I can’t recall any Aussies playing for England with the exception of Patterson who was born in England. Simmons was asked when he played for Kent as he was born in England.
Just to divert briefly listening to TMS and Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees, I didn’t realise his family was a £10 pommie moving to OZ when he was 9. He now lives in Oxfordshire and was speaking on behalf of the memorial for Bomber Command.
dasilva said | September 7th 2009 @ 8:06pm | Report comment
I remember reading about Sajid Mahmood getting heckled by his own ethnic community
Quite frankly, it is an absolute disgrace.
The funny thing is what the crowds doesn’t realise is that Sajid Mahmood is not eligible to play for Pakistan anyway
Pretty much what the crowd is saying by heckling him. Is that Sajid shouldn’t represent the country of birth, instead he should leave England move to Pakistan and live their for 5 years before being eligible in representing Pakistan.
Quite hypocritical for the fans to heckle him for that reason considering that most of the 2nd/3rd generation pakistani community have lived in England all their lives and only go to pakistan on holidays or short term visits. Try getting them to leave the comforts of England and force them to live in pakistan for 5 years, I doubt there will be very few takers there.
Dave said | September 8th 2009 @ 8:21pm | Report comment
Jason Gallian, Adam and Ben Hollioake, Craig White, Martin McCague, Alan Mullally,Tim Ambrose and Geraint Jones are some of the many recent Australians who have played for England
Dave said | September 17th 2009 @ 7:57pm | Report comment
Dimitri Mascarenhas is another Australian who is playing for England
Kersi Meher-Homji said | September 7th 2009 @ 10:02pm | Report comment
dasilva,
I did write in my post that Panesar (along with Sajid Mahmood, Ali Kabir and Bopara) were born in England. See below the reproduction:
“Like Test players Mark Ramprakash, ‘Monty’ Panesar, Sajid Mahmood and Ali Kabir, Bopara (10 Tests, 42 ODIs) and Rashid (two ODIs) were born in England.”
The article took weeks to research and was meant to be interesting. And different than the run of the mill stories you have already read ad-nauseum in newspapers, magazines and seen on TV.
Because of the British Raj, true blue Englishmen like Jardine, Cowdrey et al were born in India. And there is nothing wrong in migrants playing for their country of adoption. It is wonderful that a team is selected on basis of merit and not on basis of where you or your parents came from.
Thank you, dasilva, for understanding my motive for writing this article.
dasilva said | September 7th 2009 @ 10:47pm | Report comment
Thanks for your comment and I do enjoy your article
My comment on Panesar was directed toward Freud of Football and not at you and I do realise that you had put Panesar in the England born players.
I also agree about selected on basis on merit and not on where your parents came from
One of the most embarrassing chants during the Ashes series down under was when some Aussie supporter heckled Panesar asking “Why didn’t you play for India” and inferring he was a traitor.
He is just as English as the likes of Vaughan, Stewart, Atherton etc
I’m also sick of some of the Roebuck rant about England poaching players as well.
Freud of Football said | September 7th 2009 @ 11:49pm | Report comment
Kersi,
it was good to see that someone actually did put the effort in to research an interesting topic, most of the recent articles on here have been very motononous, referring to boring current affairs issues when many people seem to be missing the bigger picture.
As you said, it was different from the run-of-the-mill stories, including those normally seen here on The Roar. Your article deserves a lot more attention than it has actually received, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
bever fever said | September 7th 2009 @ 11:39pm | Report comment
If the English cricket team is full of expat saffas, indians, West indians and Pakis where’s the enjoyment in beating the “English” and what exactly is the point in playing them.
Do all these people consider themselves English ? .
Freud of Football said | September 7th 2009 @ 11:53pm | Report comment
Kevin Pietersen said: “In fact, I’m going to get one of Gough’s tattoos with three lions and my number underneath…No one can say I’m not English” – however in his heart of hearts I’m sure he considers himself South African, he would have played for them had he been given the chance but when he saw that options were limited, then he switched allegiances.
dasilva said | September 8th 2009 @ 12:13am | Report comment
A lot of this expat stuff is exageratted
Most the players that Kersi mention bar a few exceptions lived in England for a majority of their lives. The likes of Nassar Hussain only lived in India for about a few years at most when he was baby.
Same with Andrew Strauss who was raised in the English education school. He may have been born in South Africa but he lived majority of his childhood in England.
The same with Matthew Prior who represented the Sussex under 12 teams. He may have been born in South Africa but his cricketing education came from England.
A lot of the players people assume not to be english (eg. of asian descent) were actually born in England and probably were proud of it. The likes of Sajid Mahmood ended up being abused by his own ethnic community to play for England. If that’s not proof of patriotism then what is.
In the current English Test side, only Trott and Pietersen whose cricketing knowledge was raised in another country.
Viscount Crouchback said | September 8th 2009 @ 9:00am | Report comment
But that glorious global heritage IS England. Read up on the Empire, old bean.
True Tah said | September 8th 2009 @ 9:13am | Report comment
So basically the English cricket team has been a refuge for ethnic minorities and white refugees from Southern African nations?
Viscount Crouchback said | September 8th 2009 @ 9:32am | Report comment
England is a world nation, old bean. Lord’s is almost as Australian as it is English. It is almost as Indian as it is English. The Englishman soared above petty parochial concerns about 400 years ago, when the East India Company rolled into action.
Ian Noble said | September 8th 2009 @ 1:35am | Report comment
The ECB is actually the England and Wales cricket board and in the first instance attracts players from the British Isles to play test cricket, so for example, Simon Jones, Robert Croft both Welsh, Mike Denness & Dougie Brown both Scottish, Ed Joyce and Eion Morgan both Irish have or will play for England. All these players will have proven their worth at county level before being considered for the Test side.
So from the outset there is no such thing as an “English” side. As our society is very multicultural it can call upon the many facets that makeup the Britsh Isles and beyond. You can see from the makeup of all our sporting teams that they more and more reflect our society, football, rugby, athletics and so on. As Kershi said in his posting the recognition of ability is deciding factor not the colour of their skin or religion.
Rashid at 20 and Bopara at 23 have the opportunity to become major role models and will reinforce the attraction to many with an Asian background to play cricket professionally, as Moyne and topsy Ojo with a Nigerian background have become role models in rugby.
Kersi Meher-Homji said | September 8th 2009 @ 9:21am | Report comment
Vinay,
Where are you? Your input on this issue of overseas-born Test cricketers would be most welcome.
sheek said | September 8th 2009 @ 4:05pm | Report comment
Monty Panesar…..
What a wonderfully appropriate Anglo-Indian name!!!
ABCDEFG said | September 9th 2009 @ 12:33am | Report comment
It is a odd thing to see a completely white washed Australian side when Australia’s appeal apparently is it’s ability to open arms to everyone in the world. Nonetheless I don’t care what people say. If your born in Australia or have acquired a citizenship you are as Australian as the guy with a “shrimp on the barby”. Let’s see a more multicultural side, I find a little embarrassing have a white washed side when England has players with nationalities from different sub-continents on their side. Both my parents have Cambodian and Chinese heritage, but I was born in Melbourne and I have been living here all my life, for example I could care less about the Chinese and their dominance at the Olympics, I only cared and went for Australia to get the gold.
Dave said | September 9th 2009 @ 6:43pm | Report comment
Australians come from all over and the more generations they have been here the more mixed their heritage becomes. Its a lot more complex than people think.
Chinese cricketers?
http://chineseaustralia.org/tags/ricky-ponting/
Does Ricky Ponting have Chinese heritage?
http://chinahistoryforum.com/index.php?showtopic=29340
Kersi Meher-Homji said | September 9th 2009 @ 12:54am | Report comment
Sheek,
Monty is a shortened name of Madhusudan Singh Panesar.
ABCDEFG,
I’m pretty sure a cricketer from any country would be selected for Australia if he was good enough. Here everyone gets a chance if you are really good and try hard. I am from India and I had 12 books on cricket published in Australia despite being a scientist by profession.
Look at Dav Whatmore from Sri Lanka who played 7 Tests for Australia in 1979 and Lisa Sthalekar from India who till last year vice-captained Australian women’s cricket team.
Kersi Meher-Homji said | September 9th 2009 @ 7:47am | Report comment
Good morning Roarers,
Although irrelevant for this post, this is what today’s Column 8,the Sydney Morning Herald, had to say about today (9/9/09) and cricket trivia:
”An item exclusively for Column 8,” brags Kersi Meher-Homji, of St Ives, and some readers will remember Kersi as this column’s Keeper of Bizarre Cricket Trivia, and not without sound claims to the title. ”Wednesday is 9/9/09,” he reminds us, ”and Column 8 should be Column 9 for a day! For lovers of trivia, two all-time great Australian cricketers were born on 9/9 – fast bowler Fred ‘Demon’ Spofforth in 1853 and wicketkeeper Bert Oldfield in 1894. The current English quickie Graham Onions was born on 9/9/1982. And the Aussie ‘Governor General’, Charlie Macartney, died on 9/9/1958. Don Bradman had a Test batting average of 99.94.” There you go. By the way, if you haven’t seen the marvellous statue of Spofforth at the SCG, it’s well worth a look. ”Demon” doesn’t do the work justice. Deeply scary.
Dave said | September 9th 2009 @ 6:44pm | Report comment
now New Zealand cricket has the money they are looking to spread the game
http://www.hawkesbaytoday.co.nz/sport/news/test-cricket-cast-net-wider-for-talent-ceo/3903925/
True Tah said | September 9th 2009 @ 7:43pm | Report comment
I dont think Ricky Ponting would be too keen to sledge some Islander cricket player after what happened to him last time he tried to take one on!!
Kersi Meher-Homji said | September 9th 2009 @ 9:07pm | Report comment
Dave, Now that you mention it, Ponting and Boon seem to have some Chinese characteristics.
Richard Chee Quee from China played Sheffield Shield / Pura Cup matches for NSW with distinction. He is the second Chinese to play first-class cricket in Australia after Hunter Poon who had represented Queensland in 1923-24.
Organised by Bhavan’s Australia in 2006 and 2007, I was a part organisor of a tournament called Cricket Masala at Bankstown Oval in Sydney. It was a six-a-side six-overs competition. There were teams from Africa, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China, Europe, Fiji, Lebanon and Afghanistan. Also, of course from Australia and NSW aboriginal all-stars. Also a Women’s team.
A large majority of the players are Australia citizens, playing 1st or 2nd Grade cricket in Sydney. The standard was really high with current and former Test cricketers Nathan Hauritz and Lisa Sthalekar (Australia), Subroto Banerjee (India), Vusi Sibanda and Eddo Brandes (Zimbabwe) and NSW State players Chee Quee, Michelle Goszko, Moises Henriques (originally from Portugal) and Usman Khawaja (Pakistan-born) among others. Jeff Cook was 12th man for England in the Lord’s Test against Pakistan in 2001.
First-graders Ahillen and Beadle originally from Sri Lanka and playing 1st Grade for Penrith showed a lot of promise. Another Sri Lankan, Jarrad Burke, played 1st Grade for Campbelltown. Ahillen and Jarrad had earlier represented Australian Under-19 team in a World Cup. Jarrad also represented NSW against Queensland in a Twenty20 match in 2005.
So there is talent aplenty. But the transition from Grade to State to Test level is a huge climb.
Dave1 said | November 12th 2009 @ 10:17am | Report comment
According ti Wikipedia, Michael Bevan is of Sri Lankan descent
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burgher_people
Kersi Meher-Homji said | September 14th 2009 @ 6:24pm | Report comment
Dave,
Because of the British Raaj (Rule) in India prior to 1947, many of the British were born in India (big names like Douglas Jardine, Colin Cowdrey…).
Ranji, Duleep and Pataudi Sr were Uni students in England. Also as there was no Test cricket in India till 1932, there was no conflict for them. But after India got the Test status, Pataudi Sr eventually did play for India, captaining her against England in 1946.
Kersi Meher-Homji said | September 18th 2009 @ 12:08am | Report comment
Dimitri Mascarenhas was born in Middlesex to Sri Lankan parents but was brought up in Perth. Also he has not played in a Test yet. So he cannot be included in my list of England’s foreign-born Test cricketers.
Freud of Football said | October 1st 2009 @ 12:45am | Report comment
http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/427344.html – Thought it was interesting that the topic is receiving a little more interest than just here on The Roar
Tigerface said | February 18th 2010 @ 3:30pm (4 weeks ago) | Report comment
I’m bored with the constant Australian whinging about England’s ‘foreign’ players. The overt racism in many of the comments is uniquely Australian.
I’m not sure that many Australian are aware that there are million of first and second generations of immigrants who consider themselves English.
None of this rubbish Aussie “I’m more Aussie than you because I’m white” rubbish.
Lets get the truth out there. Australia fielded an Olympic squad in 2008 that included 75 athletes who weren’t born in Australia. GB fielded…….two.
This makes sense because Australia is a nation developed on immigration. The idea of Australian’s getting all angst about national purity is the funniest thing I’ve heard in my life.
Kersi Meher-Homji said | February 18th 2010 @ 5:13pm (4 weeks ago) | Report comment
Tigerface,
There was no offence meant in that article, just an interesting observation.
I also did companion stories for The Roar on Foreign-born Australian Test cricketers on 22-9-09 and Foreign-born South African Test cricketers on 13-9-09.
I do unusual stories like Test cricketers who have represented their countries in other sports (rugby, hockey, football…), nicknames of cricketers…
I love all countries, India because I was born there, Australia because I’m happily settled here. I would love to visit England, New Zealand, West Indies, South Africa, Spain, France, Kenya, Zimbabwe.
Hope you’ll understand my motive. It is to give readers something different than what they read about in newspapers and see on TV.