Cricketers Who Started Out As Bowlers But Became Successful Batsmen

1. Kevin Pietersen

Pietersen had started playing cricket when his family used to live in South Africa He used to play local cricket for a team called Kwazulu Natal as an off spinner. In one match against Nasser Hussain’s England side, he had taken 4 top order wickets and despite batting at No.9 he scored 61 not out of 57 balls which impressed Hussain. Hussain then recommended Pietersen to secure a contract with an English County Side.
A big-match player, Pietersen’s talent has come to the fore whenever England have been in rough waters. Be it pulling Brett Lee with utter disdain or shimming down the track to hit Shane Warne out of the park, the 2005 Ashes series was a heady start for Pietersen who was soon going to become the most sought-after player in English cricket.
Kevin Pietersen, who started his career as an off-spinner, fancies bowling spin now and then but has failed to match the standards that he has set for himself with the bat. He only has 17 wickets (10 in Tests, 7 in ODIs) from 240 international outings. Clearly, those figures don’t make for a very happy reading.

2. Steven Smith

                                      
Steven Smith, who was given his chance on the international stage as a specialist leggie in 2010, was used as a floating all-rounder during the disastrous Ashes series of 2010-11. He became handy with the bat to give his team good support in the batting line up. But he finally became the most important batsman in the Test series against India where he went on to make heaps of records with the willow. He became the highest run-getter of the series for Australia and attained the prestigious rank of no.1 ICC Test batsman.
In the 2010 ICC T20 World Cup, Smith had taken 11 wickets at an average of 14.11 and ended up being the 2nd highest wicket taker of the tournament. But as troubles generally arrive in a person’s life, even Smith had started to face problems with his form after he was selected in the Australian team. He was inconsistently picked in the team as he was neither good with the ball nor the bat. But as time passed by, he worked hard on his batting with his junior coach Trent Woodhill.
In a stance that’s peculiar at best, Smith takes a leg-stump guard and shuffles across while the bowler’s still in his delivery stride. Just before the ball comes out of the bowler’s arm, he takes residence around middle and off-stump and works the ball effortlessly to all parts of the ground.

                                                                                           3. Shoaib Malik                                        
Shoaib Malik too started his career as a specialized off-spinner for Pakistan.
Although he wasn’t picked in the side for the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup, he essayed a fine comeback in the 2004 Asia Cup scoring heaps of runs playing an instrumental role in Pakistan’s victory.
Malik has had his moments of glory in Test cricket as well but with a technique that was found wanting in seaming conditions, he has failed to leave much of an impression in the longer format.

                                                                                            4. Cameron White                                       
Cameron White became a part of the Australian side as a leg spinner in the year 2008 against India. In the 4 Tests that he played, he took merely 5 wickets at an economy of 3.68. While his stint was not as long as he would have liked it to be, he can be proud of the fact that he has scored 2037 runs from 88 ODIs at a healthy average just under 35.

Kevin Pietersen Confirms He Won't Take Part In IPL 2018

Kevin Pietersen confirmed that he won't be playing in the next edition of the Indian Premier League.

Kevin Pietersen’s decision is expected to be a huge loss for the franchises.

Kevin Pietersen will bid farewell to English cricket this summer when his stint in the NatWest Blast playing for Surrey comes to an end.

The 36-year-old also announced that he won't be available for the 2018 Indian Premier League (IPL) as it comes at the end of his busy schedule. The reason for Pietersen's unavailability for both stints is that he's busy building a new home near Kruger National Park and wants to be more involved in wildlife conservation programmes.

The IPL comes at the end of my schedule. So I’m playing for Surrey now, in August-September. Then I play in South Africa in November, into December. I play in Australia all of December and all of January. Then I play the Pakistan Super League in February-March. So can’t play in India, it’s too long.

"I am still playing some of the best cricket of my career," he said. "I am 36 and I am fitter than I even was when I was playing for England. As long as I am fit and enjoying batting I will play on."

Pietersen pulled out of commentating on the Ashes this winter to play in a new Twenty20 league in South Africa which was launched on Monday in London.

"I came back from that first IPL, that second IPL and I was promoting it, and saying 'we've got to get more English guys into these set-ups'.

"It is nice to see the youngsters, (Chris) Woakes going out there, Stokes going out there. It was absolutely fantastic."

“Playing cricket is very important to me, but I’m heavily involved in wildlife conservation now and that will be my priority next summer.”

Top 10 Batsmen Of All Time

10 Greatest International Batsmen of all Time
1. Sir Donald Bradman (Australia)

Don Bradman was an Australian renowned cricketer. Bradman is rightly accredited as the greatest Test batsman of all time. Sir Don Bradman’s career Test average of 99.94 is the greatest achievement by any sportsman in sports history. Bradman was a name of patience, strategy, intelligence, fear and nightmare for bowlers.
Sir Don was given the title of “Knighthood” in 2009. Sir Don is undeniably one of the top ten greatest batsmen of all times in cricket history. A question arises here that why Sir Don Bradman has not placed at 1st in this ranking. Answer contains one reason that is, Sir Don scored majority of runs against England and during those days bowler were not aggressive and tactful as compare to these days.
Wisden tributes him in these words: “The greatest phenomenon in the history of cricket, indeed in the history of all ball games.”
His Amazing Average in test career remains One of the Seven Wonders in Cricket History.
                                                          2. Sachin Tendulkar (India)
                                    

Started playing cricket at a tender age of 16, Sachin holds the majority of batting records in cricket history. Tendulkar is considered the second best behind Sir Don Bradman in tests and in ODI’s, he is considered the greatest cricketer ever. Sachin was the first to score 10,000 runs in ODI’s and has totally scored 18,426 runs when he retired from ODI’s. In tests, Sachin has accumulated 15645 runs at an average of approximately 54. He was also the first batsman to score a 200 in ODI, score 100 international centuries and 50 centuries in tests. Sachin has also the world record of Most Man of the Match Awards in ODI’s Cricket History. Tendulkar has faced the most lethal bowlers during his playing days which included the likes of Waqar, Wasim, Akthar, Warne, Muralitharan, McGrath, Lee, Donald and many more.
“I’ll be going to bed having nightmares of Sachin running down the wicket and belting me back over the head for a six. I don’t think anyone apart from Don Bradman is in the same class as Sachin Tendulkar. He is just an amazing player.” – Shane Warne (Australia)
                                                           3. Ricky Ponting (Australia)
                                    

One of the most successful Australian captains and one of the All Time Successful Captain in Cricket History, As a player he is also the only cricketer in history to be involved in 100 Test victories. 
One of the highest run makers in his era. he scored 41 tests and 30 ODIs Tons in His Career. After being involved in over 160 Tests and 370 ODIs, Ponting is Australia’s leading run-scorer in Test and ODI cricket. He is one of only four players in history to have scored 13,000 Test runs.
According to former Australian captain Allan Border, what you see with Ponting is what you get, and “he wears his heart on his sleeve. Ponting was indeed a perfect batsman, perfect captain and perfect fielder. Ricky was famous for his perfect hook and pull shots.
                                                  4. Sir Vivian Richards (West Indies)                                   

Sir Vivian Richards was a greatest West Indian player. Sir Vivian was a right handed aggressive batsman. The people who had seen Vivian Richards playing, say that he was a most aggressive, fearless and devastating batsman. His bating was a nightmare for all the bowlers of the world. The word “swagger” is frequently used to describe his batting style. In his Test career, he scored 8,540 runs in 121 Test matches at an average of 50.23 and holds the record for scoring the fastest-ever Test century, from just 56 balls against England.
                                                5. Sir Garfield Sobers (West Indies)                                     

Sir Sobers is the One of greatest all rounder in cricket history. also the one the best batsman in cricket world ever seen. Garfield Sobers had very elegant shots and great pair of hands. In 1958, Sobers made a record of highest individual score in an inning, which could not be broken for 36 years. Lara scored 375 runs in 1994 and broke this record. Sobers was given the honorable title of “Knighthood” by Queen Elizabeth II. Sobers became the first player ever to hit six sixes in a single over of six consecutive balls. 
“I suppose I can gain some consolation from the fact that my name will be permanently in the record books” – Malcolm Nash after being hit for six sixes in an over by Gary Sobers.
                                                           6. Sunil Gavaskar (India)                                            

Sunil Gavaskar played for India in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Gavaskar was a greatest opening batsman in cricket history. During his era, he set the world record of test centuries and most runs. His record of 34 centuries remained unbroken for almost two decade which was later broken by Sachin Tendulkar in 2005.
Gavaskar could not be described as an attacking batsman, he had the ability of keeping the scoreboard ticking with unique shots such as the “late flick”. His focus of technical correctness over flair meant that his style of play was usually less suited to the shorter form of the game, at which he had less success. 

                                                       7. Brian Lara (West Indies)

Brian Lara is the only one greatest batsman in cricket history who played a test inning of 400 runs not out. He made this record in 2004 against England. A test average of 52.88 and an ODI average of 41 shows how good a player he was for West Indies during his days.
“Playing against him was a good test of your skills. Brian Lara is probably the only other guy in world cricket that pushed me like Tendulkar” – Brett Lee (Australia)
                                                         8. Rahul Dravid (India)                                      

Rahul Dravid has amazing ability in defense and play with patience. He has played lots of crucial innings in test cricket and ODIs. Dravid was rightly called an unbreakable rock of Indian bating line. Dravid has scored 36 centuries in Tests at an average of 53.19 and in one-dayers, Dravid has an average of 39.49.
“It does not get better than what Rahul Dravid did in this Test (the 2003 Test at Adelaide where he scored 233 and 72*). His batting was outstanding. Everyone has already exhausted superlatives so I would not bother myself with any additional praise but you could be sure my admiration for him has grown tremendously” – Allan Border, Former Australian Skipper on Dravid’s match winning knocks in 2003 Adelaide Test.
                                                     9. Jacques Kallis (South Africa)                                     

Jacques Kallis is one of the greatest batsman in world. Kallis is not only a good batsman but, is an excellent all rounder as well. Kallis is the only cricketer in the history of the game to hold more than 11,000 runs and 250 wickets in both one day and Test match cricket. with Average of 45 in ODIs and 57 in Tests. Kallis scored 13,289 runs in test cricket and 11,574 in ODI’s cricket.
“Whether on the front or back foot, he plays well on the on and off-side. Kallis is not Brain Lara or Ricky Ponting in terms of aggression or flair but he is rock solid and, added to that, has every shot in the book. Also his cover drive, straight drive and flick off the hip are right up there in terms of execution and attractiveness” – Micheal Vaughan, Former England Captain
                                                    10. Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka)                                               

Sanath Jayasuriya was a greatest Sri Lankan Player. Sanath revolutionized One Day International cricket with his aggressive bating and bowling tactics. All the bowlers of his era were afraid of him. Sanath never forgave any bowler while bating. Sri Lanka won the world cup of 1996 only because of Sanath Jayasuriya.Sanath played for Sri Lanka from 1989 to 2011.
“It is always a massive compliment to someone to say they changed the game, and his storming innings in the 1996 World Cup changed everyone’s thinking about how to start innings”– Glenn McGrath on Jayasuriya’s approach during 1996 World Cup.