5 modern-day cricketers who have played for two countries

Canada and USA played the first international cricket game in 1844. Since then many players have played this beautiful game. Cricket is a highly popular game especially in the Indian subcontinent.

It is considered an honour to represent the country in international cricket. Many cricketers play the game just in the hope of representing their country at the international level. At the same time, there are a few players who have played for two countries at the international level which is very difficult in any scenario.

Since the advent of international cricket, 31 cricketers have played for two countries. Such a kind of instance was common in early 20th century. However, in the modern era, it has become increasingly difficult due to the immigration laws and level of competition.

Let us take a look at five such modern-day players who have played for two countries.

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#5 Mark Chapman - Hong Kong and New Zealand

Mark Chapman

Mark Chapman was born in Hong Kong to a Chinese mother. The fact that his father was from New Zealand made him eligible to play for both countries.

He started his cricket career with Hong Kong junior teams where he first played for U-15 and also made a record when he played U-19 World Cup 2010 aged just 15. He made his senior debut five years later for Hong Kong against UAE.

An all-rounder by trait, Chapman is a left-hand batsman as well as a slow left-arm orthodox bowler. He impressed with his performances for Hong-Kong even scoring a century on debut.

However, as Chapman was pursuing his higher studies in Auckland, he started playing domestic cricket in New Zealand. Therein, he impressed with his performances to earn a call-up for New Zealand national team.

He made his debut for New Zealand in 2018 against Pakistan. He has impressed in T20s for New Zealand and is considered a promising prospect.

#4 Dirk Nannes - Netherlands and Australia

Dirk Nannes

Dirk Nannes was born in Australia while his parents belonged from the Netherlands. He started his domestic career in Australia while playing for Victoria.

The left-arm fast bowler saw moderate success in domestic cricket. He later signed for Middlesex County team for the 2008 season. He found success after the advent of T20 in 2008. He was one of the first freelancers in the world of cricket. Nannes made his name in IPL by playing for Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Nannes played for Netherlands in the 2009 T20 World Cup. Though his consistent performances in IPL and BBL soon earned him a call to Australian national team, he struggled to retain his spot after the 2010 season. He played two games for Netherlands and 17 matches for Australia.

#3 Ed Joyce - England and Ireland

Ed Joyce

After beginning his County career with Middlesex, Ed Joyce gradually rose through the ranks in the England setup. His consistent performance in the county circuit earned him a call-up for the England national team.

The Dublin-born batsman made his ODI debut against his home country Ireland in 2006. He was also a part of the England team for the 2007 World Cup. Included in the Test squad during the 2006/07 Ashes, he missed a debut by a whisker.

Competition for spots, coincided with his loss in the form, made him go down the pecking order for the England team. After special permission from the ICC, he was allowed to play for Ireland in the 2011 World Cup. Since then he played for Ireland till his retirement in 2018. He also was a part of the Ireland team which played its first Test in 2018 against Pakistan.

#2 Luke Ronchi - Australia and New Zealand

Luke Ronchi

Luke Ronchi was born in New Zealand in 1981 but later migrated to Perth. He became eligible to play for Australia as well. He is the only player in history to have played for both New Zealand and Australia.

Ronchi served as a second choice wicket-keeper for Australian national team from 2007-2009 behind Brad Haddin. He made his debut in the T20I and ODI against West Indies in 2008.

Australia saw a lot of competition for the wicket-keeping position in the 2010s. To prolong his international career, Ronchi announced his desire to play for New Zealand national team. Hence, he migrated to Kiwi land to play in their domestic circuit.

Ronchi made his Test debut in May 2015 and soon became a regular starter for New Zealand till his retirement in 2017. He was highly successful for the Blackcaps and played many memorable innings for them. He played four ODIs for Australia and 81 for New Zealand. His highest ODI score for the Kiwis is 170.

#1 Eoin Morgan - Ireland and England

Eoin Morgan

Born in Dublin, Eoin Morgan has been one of the most talented players to come out of Ireland. Since his childhood, he was destined for greatness. He represented Ireland in 2004 and captained them in the 2006 U-19 World Cup.

Morgan left a mark in U-19 level and was the highest run scorer at one point in time. He made his senior debut for Ireland in 2006 against Scotland. The left-hander scored his maiden ODI century in 2007 against Canada. He played for Ireland in the 2007 World Cup.

In 2007, Morgan admitted that he wanted to play for England. This raised a feeling of discontent against him in his home country. The ECB saw this as a golden opportunity to obtain a player for their cause.

Morgan made his debut for England in 2007 against West Indies. He has been highly successful for both England and Ireland. He is also the first batsman to score ODI centuries for two different nations. He played 23 ODIs for Ireland and has featured in 185 ODIs thus far for England.