In the life of a sportsperson, there is nothing in the world that matches the joy of representing your country at the international level.
With the goal of earning a national cap and serving the nation, millions of kids take up this sport professionally but unfortunately, only a few manage to etch their name into the history books.
However, there have been instances where players have switched loyalties, albeit for various reasons.
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Take a look at the seven players to have played One Day Internationals and T-20s for different teams:
#7 Dirk Nannes
Dirk Nannes began his professional career in the year 2005, representing the Victoria Cricket Team in the domestic competition of Australia. The left arm pacer made steady progress with his performances in the One-Day and 20-over formats for his side.
With a vision to gain international experience, Nannes decided to play for the Netherlands on the international circuit. He holds a Dutch citizenship through his parents, and this enabled him to play two T-20 Internationals for his nation in the 2009 edition of the ICC World T20 where he picked up a solitary wicket.
In the following year, Nannes was included in Australia’s ODI and T20 squads. His expert variations ensured he finished with 27 wickets in 15 matches for the Aussies.
#6 Roelof van der Merwe
Roelof van der Merwe recorded his debut for Northerns in South Africa during the 2006 domestic season. Bowling his slow left-arm spinners, van der Merwe proved his mettle consistently at the first class level and progressed to the national level in the year 2009.
He made his One Day debut for South Africa in a home series against the mighty Aussies in 2009. Having dominated the T-20 format of the tournament with his all-around abilities, he was included in the One Day squad. Subsequently, the lack of wickets resulted in his omission from the national side.
The 32-year-old received his Dutch passport in 2015 which authorised him to play for the Netherlands. He was picked up in the 15 member squad of the Dutch team for the 2015 World Cup qualifiers.
Representing the Netherlands, he scalped 15 wickets in 11 games.
#5 Luke Ronchi
Luke Ronchi was born in New Zealand but migrated to Perth in the early stages of his childhood. He made his first-class debut for Western Australia in the domestic circuit and continued to impress with his hard hitting abilities.
An unfortunate injury to Brad Haddin in the 2008 series against West Indies resulted in Ronchi making his debut for Australia. The wicket-keeper batsman represented Australia in three T-20 Internationals and four One Day Internationals before announcing his desire to play for the country of his birth in 2012.
The following month, Ronchi signed with the Wellington Cricket team in the domestic tournament of New Zealand. The 36-year-old made his first appearance for the New Zealand team in May 2013 and continues to be a vital player for them in the shorter formats of the game.
#4 Geraint Jones
The former wicket-keeper batsman was born in Papua New Guinea to Welsh parents. He represented Kent in domestic cricket for England before making his international debut against West Indies in 2004. Geraint Jones was a regular feature of the England squad for the Test matches and One Dayers until 2006 when a string of flat performances resulted in his omission from the squad.
In the year 2012, Jones represented Papua New Guinea in the ICC T-20 Qualifiers in the United Arab Emirates and continued to be the mainstay of their batting unit until 2014.
#3 Michael Di Venuto
The left-handed opening batsman represented the Tasmanian Tigers in the domestic circuit for Australia. Michael Di Venuto's consistent performance in the domestic matches paved his way into the national side for a series against South Africa in 1992.
After dismal performances in nine games, Di Venuto decided to emigrate to Italy in 2012 to continue playing international cricket. A valid Italian passport ensured that he could represent the country in the international arena. He made his debut for the side in the 2012 World T-20 Qualifiers.
Di Venuto is currently serving as the head coach of Surrey having previously served as the batting coach of the Australian team on their tour of India in 2016.
#2 Ryan Campbell
The wicket-keeper batsman initially started off his domestic career as a specialist batsman for Western Australia in the year 1995. With Adam Gilchrist being the first choice keeper, Ryan Campbell had to wait for his opportunity. Gilchrist’s elevation to the national side resulted in the management assigning wicket-keeping duties to Campbell.
An injury to Gilchrist in the 2002 series against New Zealand delivered Campbell his ODI debut, but with Gilchrist returning to the side soon enough, there were hardly any chances for Campbell in the national team.
In the year 2012, he moved to Hong Kong after being appointed as a player cum coach of the Kowloon Cricket Club. At the age of 43, he made his T20 debut for Hong Kong against Zimbabwe in the ICC T20 World Cup 2016, making him the oldest international debutant.
#1 Eoin Morgan
The left-handed batsman started his domestic career in Ireland and was promoted to play for the country in the year 2006. Lack of opportunities for the associate members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) forced Morgan to switch loyalties to England in 2009.
The southpaw made his debut for England in May 2009 and soon became the first player to score a century for both countries. After becoming a regular member of the One Day squad for England, Morgan was named the captain of the side in November 2014. Morgan continues to lead England in the shorter format of the game and has proved his with an unorthodox style of play and aggressive captaincy.
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