cricketers who played football: It requires sheer talent to become a successful sportsman. Years of diligence and an extraordinary level of perseverance are required to represent your country at the highest level of sports. In the history of sports, there have been some exceptional names who are multi-talented and have played multiple sports.
Cotar Ramaswami, who played two international matches in 1936, was one such remarkable talent who played both tennis and cricket for India. Apart from India, some cricketers played football and broke into the record books for having their careers in both illustrious sports. Discussing more, let’s know five eminent cricketers who played football.
Here are five cricketers who represented their countries in Football
Arnie Sidebottom
Arnie Sidebottom was a renowned name in England’s domestic circle during the 1970s and 1980s. Representing Yorkshire for 18 years from 1973-1991, he racked up 4’508 runs and 596 wickets in 228 appearances in first-class cricket. In July 1985, he got a chance to play a Test match for England against Australia in Nottingham. Following that game, he never got an opportunity to play for his nation again in international cricket.
Before playing cricket for Yorkshire, Arnie also played football for Manchester United (MU). He served MU as a defender from 1972-75 and later joined Huddersfield Town. His last football appearance was for Halifax Town in 1979. In 2007, he got the 50th spot in a ‘50 Worst Footballers’ poll by the Times.
Ellyse Perry
Ellyse Perry has won a lot of matches for Australia Women’s international cricket team since her debut in 2008. After 15 years of her distinguished international career, she has established herself as one of the most successful cricketers in women’s internationals.
In 2011, Perry scripted history with her appearance for the Australian women’s football team in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Her side’s journey ended with the quarter-final defeat at the hands of Sweden. However, the match became memorable for Perry’s fans as she was seen scoring a goal for her team.
Denis Compton
Late Denis Compton was an essential part of England’s Test squad from 1937 to 1957. In his vast 20-year cricketing career, he played 78 Tests for England and notched up 5807 runs with 17 centuries and 28 fifties in 131 innings. Compton was not just a superb cricketer but was also a skilled footballer, who played for a quality side Arsenal.
He was a part of the Arsenal team that won the 1947-48 Football League and FA Cup in 1950. Compton would have added more achievements to his football career had the Second World War not negatively impacted it.
Sir Vivian Richards
Sir Vivian Richards was known for instilling fear in bowlers during his playing days. Riding on his magnificent batting excellence, the West Indies cricket team tasted success in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1991, he retired from international cricket with more than 15000 international runs across all formats.
The West Indies legend made his international debut in 1974. In the same year, he was also a part of Antigua’s squad that participated in the 1974 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. His team ended the campaign at the bottom of the table in that competition. Following this debacle, Richards never featured in Antigua’s football squad.
Sir Ian Botham
Sir Ian Botham was one of the most loyal servants of English cricket in the 1980s. The adept all-rounder helped the English side bag a lot of games during his 16-year international career. In 1992, he brought down the curtains on his prestigious career. The Englishman played 102 Tests and scored 5200 runs. With the ball, he grabbed 383 wickets in 168 innings.
As a One-Day International (ODI) player, he hit 2113 runs and got 145 wickets in 116 games. With these numbers, he retired as one of the greats of England. Between 1979 and 1985, he also played 11 matches for Scunthorpe United as a contracted player. During those six years, he also represented Yeovil Town in a few games.