5 sons of great cricketers who are ready to follow their fathers' footsteps

5. Alister McDermott

Alister McDermott

Right-arm pacer Alister McDermott bears his father’s first name in his middle name. It’s as much a tradition in the McDermott family, as is earning cricket contracts during teenage years. Craig had debuted in Test cricket when he had been 19; his son signed a rookie contract with Queensland while still at high school.

Alister’s red hair and bowling action can be traced to his old man whose tally of 291 wickets at the highest level may appear to inspire his son. Surprisingly though, the right-hander admits not having distinct memories of his father’s career since the latter retired when he was barely four or five. Of course, he is familiar with his resemblance to McDermott Sr’s action, having watched broadcasts of classic matches on television.

After a reasonable season at the national under-17 championships, Alister impressed in the Under-19 World Cup in 2010 clinching 4 wickets for 29 runs in a Group B match against USA. A superb 2011-12 season where he emerged as the leading wicket-taker in Australia’s domestic one-day competition earned him a call-up for the ODI series against Pakistan in the UAE.

The national jersey continues to elude him in ODIs and Tests, but with 75 wickets in 20 first-class matches at an economy of 2.84, the Queensland bowler continues to make a strong case for himself. It only remains to be seen whether he can overshadow his father’s records once provided the opportunity at the big stage.