5 cricketers who have represented two countries in Test cricket

Former England batter Gary Ballance has become the 16th player to represent two different countries in Test cricket. He has been named in Zimbabwe's playing XI for the first Test of the two-match series West Indies being played at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.

Ballance, 33, made his Test debut for England against Australia in Sydney during the 2014 New Year's Ashes Test. The left-handed batter went on to represent England in 23 Tests, scoring 1498 runs at an average of 37.45, with four hundreds and seven fifties. His best of 156 came against India at Southampton in July 2014.

Ballance played the last of his 23 Tests for England against South Africa in Nottingham in July 2017. Apart from red-ball cricket, the southpaw also represented England in 16 ODIs.

With the batter returning to play for the country of his birth, we look back at five players who have represented two nations in Test cricket.

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#1 Billy Midwinter (Australia, England)

A right-handed batter and medium-pacer, Billy Midwinter made his Test debut for Australia against England in the inaugural Test in Melbourne in 1877. After playing two Tests for Australia, he turned out in four matches for England, before shifting loyalty back to the Aussies.

In 12 Tests, he scored 269 runs at an average of 13.45 and claimed 24 wickets with a best of 5/78. His last Test was against England in Sydney in 1887.

He suffered from mental health issues following the death of his wife and two children and passed away in an asylum in Melbourne in 1890.

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#2 Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi (England, India)

Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi. Pic: Twitter

Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, the senior Nawab of Pataudi, is the only Test cricketer to have played for both England and India. He made his Test debut for England against Australia in Sydney in December 1932.

Pataudi smashed 102 on debut, playing a starring role in England’s 10-wicket triumph. He went on to play two more Tests for England, the last of which came against Australia in Nottingham in June 1934.

Twelve years later, he led India in a Test match against England at Lord’s in June 1946. However, he was well past his prime as a batter by then and played only a couple more Test matches for India. In all, Pataudi played six Tests, scoring 199 runs at an average of 19.90.

He died in January 1952 while playing a game of polo on his son Mansur Ali Khan's birthday. The latter would go on to captain the country and is regarded as one of the finest to lead an Indian Test team.

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#3 Abdul Hafeez Kardar (India, Pakistan)

Former Pakistan captain Abdul Hafeez Kardar.

Abdul Hafeez Kardar is regarded as a father figure in Pakistani cricket. He captained the country in their first Test match in 1952, which was against India in Delhi in October 1952. Kardar, however, made his debut for India against England at Lord’s in June 1946 in the pre-partition era. He scored 43 and 0 in India’s 10-wicket loss.

Kardar went on to play two more Tests for India before being appointed Pakistan captain. Kardar captained Pakistan to victory over all the then-Test-playing nations except South Africa (the teams never met during his captaincy stint).

A left-handed batter and left-arm spinner, Kardar played 26 Tests, scoring 927 runs at an average of 23.76, with five fifties. On the bowling front, he claimed 21 wickets at an average of 45.42. His last Test was against West Indies at the Port of Spain in March 1958.

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#4 John Traicos (South Africa, Zimbabwe)

John Traicos of Zimbabwe bowling against India during the historic first test in Harare. Pic: Getty Images

Former off-spinner John Traicos made his Test debut for South Africa against Australia in Durban in 1970. He played three Tests in the series, but, like many players of his era, suffered as South Africa were sent into sporting isolation due to their apartheid policy.

While South Africa were readmitted to international cricket in 1991, Traicos made a Test comeback in Zimbabwe’s first Test in 1992, at the age of 45. The gap between his two Test appearances - 22 years and 222 days - is a world record.

Despite the age factor, Traicos made a big impact, claiming 5/86 in 15 overs in the first innings of the Test against India in Harare.

He went on to play three more Tests for Zimbabwe, the last of which was against India in Delhi in March 1993. Traicos ended his Test career with 18 wickets at an average of 42.72.

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#5 Kepler Wessels (Australia, South Africa)

Former South African captain Kepler Wessels. Pic: Getty Images

A resolute opening batter, Kepler Wessels made an exceptional Test debut for Australia against England in Brisbane in 1982. He scored 162 and 46 and was named Player of the Match as the Aussies beat England by seven wickets.

Wessels was a key member of the Australian team over the next four years. He played a total of 24 Tests of them - the last of which came against New Zealand in Brisbane in November 1985.

Wessels returned to Test cricket in 1992, captaining South Africa, the country of his birth, against West Indies in Bridgetown. He went on to play 16 Tests for the Proteas, scoring 1027 at a decent average of 38.03, with two hundreds.

Overall, Wessels featured in 40 Tests, scoring 2788 runs, including six hundreds and 15 fifties, at an average of 41.

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