10 instances when players did double duty on the field

Most great players are specialists, fulfilling one particular role to perfection. But there are some rare geniuses who are so versatile that they can excel in a variety of roles, sometimes within the same game!In this list we look at 10 instances where players did double duty for the sake of their team, fulfilling more than one role with a great deal of panache:

#1 Pele

Garnier Men Double Action Moment - Playing for both teams in a match

Pele needs no introduction, really. Arguably the greatest footballer of all time, the Brazilian magician has many records to his name, most of which will likely remain out of the reach of all other players for years to come.

Pele famously won three World Cups with the all-conquering Braziian national team in the 50s, 60s and 70s, and won several honours with his club sides Santos and New York Cosmos too. What is not so well-known, however, is the unique hand that Pele played in his last ever match.

On 1st October 1977 an exhibition was arranged between Pele’s two clubs Santos and New York Cosmos; this was to be the Brazilian’s farewell game, and was watched by millions across the world. But the more remarkable thing about the match is that Pele represented both teams in it; he played the first half for Cosmos, and the second half with Santos.

True to his genius, Pele scored a goal even in his last match; he slotted home a free-kick for Cosmos in the first half. This was ‘double duty’ at its best!

#2 Jason Gillespie

Double Action Moment - Scoring a double century after coming in as a night watchman

Jason Gillespie was an ever reliable bowler for the Australian team who took 259 wickets in 71 Tests (at an average of 26.13), making him Australia's sixth-highest wicket-taker with the 14th best bowling average (for bowlers who have taken more than a hundred wickets). Although he seldom hogged the spotlight, he was a tremendous support bowler for his more famous teammates Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.

Bowling was considered to be the extent of Gillespie’s skills though; he was a pacer who could hold a bat occasionally, but not much more. But that didn’t stop him from proving his worth whenever he was sent in as a night watchman in tricky situations.

In the 2nd Test between Australia and Bangladesh, Gillespie decided to show what he’s truly capable of. He blew away the Bangladesh top order with his three wickets, and as if that was not enough, he piled misery on the Bangladesh bowlers with his bat too.

Replying to Bangladesh’s 197, the Aussies lost Mathew Hayden early, and Ricky Ponting decided to send Gillespie as the night watchman. What ensued thereafter is history, as Gillespie went on to score a record-breaking 201 (off 425 balls). This was his first (and only) international century, and also the highest score by a night watchman in Test history.

Who would have thought that Gillespie would end up with a better Test high score than Steve Waugh!

#3 Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Double Action Moment - Bowling and keeping wickets in the same match

Everyone knows what a maverick India’s ODI captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is; he has made a career out of being an exceptional wicket-keeper and batsman at the same time. But in the semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 against Sri Lanka, his versatility was on display even more vividly.

Before the 23rd over, Dhoni handed his wicket-keeping gloves and pads to Dinesh Karthik and warmed up as Jadeja bowled his 6 deliveries. Dhoni then went on to bowl the 24th over, much to the surprise of everyone.

‘Captain Cool’ almost claimed the prized wicket of Mahela Jayawardene too; the Sri Lankan was given LBW on Dhoni’s second ball, but the decision was later overturned on review. Wicket or no wicket though, the crowd in Cardiff was on its feet throughout Dhoni’s spell which was an economical one of 0/17(4 overs) and helped reduce Sri Lanka to a paltry 181/8.

We may never know why Dhoni chose to turn his arm over at that particular moment, but he can certainly add another skill to his cricketing repertoire!

#4 Rio Ferdinand

Double Action Moment - Defending and goalkeeping in the same match

All the aforementioned players in this list were fairly successful with their double duty exploits. However, there are bound to be some who didn’t do quite so well, and Rio Ferdinand perfectly embodies that category.

In Manchester United’s FA Cup quarterfinal match against Portsmouth on 8th March 2008, a game that the Red Devils had been dominating, Ferdinand made a rare appearance as a goalkeeper. This was necessitated because Edwin van der Sar had to leave the pitch with a groin injury and the replacement keeper, Tomasz Kuszczak, was sent off after conceding a penalty.

Despite diving the right way, Ferdinand was unable to save Sulley Muntari's spot kick, and Manchester United were eliminated from the FA Cup.

#5 Shane Warne

Double Action Moment - Being both player and coach

At the start of the Indian Premier League or IPL back in 2008, Rajasthan Royals were widely considered to be the weakest team in the tournament; few people, if any, gave them a chance of winning the trophy.

But what was forgotten that the man at the helm of the team, spin wizard Shane Warne, had a multitude of tricks up his sleeve that ordinary mortals can only dream of. Operating as the team’s frontline spin bowler, captain and coach all at the same time, Warne inspired his rag-tag bunch of players to come up with one incredible performance after another. He not only excelled with his always-beguiling spin bowling, but also helped instil a strong sense of self-belief in the team that refused to be quelled.

By winning the IPL-1, the Royals made their critics eat their words, and Warne was the toast of the Indian cricket community. By doubling up as the team mentor cum captain cum player, Warne made possible the impossible.

#6 Rogerio Ceni

Double Action Moment - Scoring goals despite being a goalkeeper

Rogerio Ceni is widely renowned for being the star goalkeeper of Sao Paulo FC, a high-profile Brazilian club. Ceni was with Sao Paulo for more than two decades, and he won as many as 18 major tournaments with them.

What is most striking about Ceni, however, is the fact that he was both a goalkeeper and an accomplished goalscorer; he has been recognized by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics as the goalkeeper to have scored the most goals in the history of football – 127.

Ceni scored as many as 47 goals across all competitions from 2005 to 2007. Not surprisingly, that was a prolific period for the club, as they won two national championships and the 2005 FIFA Club World Cup. In that edition of the Club World Cup, Ceni not only scored (off a penalty) in the semifinals against Ittihad FC, but was also adjudged the Man of the match in the final against Liverpool and the MVP of the tournament.

Ceni broke the record for most goals scored by a goalkeeper on 20th August 2006, when he netted his 63rd goal through a free kick against Cruzeiro Esporte Clube. The accomplishment was even more impressive considering he had just saved a penalty from the opposition in his own goal.

#7 Magic Johnson

Double Action Moment - Playing center despite being a point guard

One of the most easily recognizable basketball players of all time, Magic Johnson has a laundry list of accomplishments to his name. A five-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, three-time NBA MVP and 12-time member of the NBA All-Star game, Johnson is one of the most decorated point guards in basketball history.

But early in his career, he did double duty for his team, and that too with remarkable results. With the Lakers’ regular center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar suffering an injury in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals, Johnson was taken off from his point guard position and asked to fill in the roles of playing guard, forward and center at different points during the game.

Johnson responded to the challenge with aplomb, racking up 42 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals in a 123-107 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. That game the Lakers an unassailable 4-2 lead in the series; in other words, they had won the championship, with the rookie Johnson being the catalyst.

Johnson’s heroics earned him the NBA Finals MVP award, and although he returned to his point guard position after that game, his performance is still remembered as one of the greatest feats ever seen in the history of sport.

#8 Asmir Begovic

Double Action Moment - A goalkeeper scoring the longest goal ever recorded

The 27-year-old Asmir Begovic currently plays as a goalkeeper for Stoke City and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. He joined Stoke in January 2010 after his earlier club, Portsmouth, ran into financial troubles in late 2009, and he hasn’t looked back since.

But Begovic’s claim to fame lies not merely in his goalkeeping skills, but also for being a part of the Guinness Book of World Records. Playing against Southampton in November 2013, Begovic scored a goal from an unearthly 97.5 in a 1-1 draw. His name was promptly entered in the Guinness Book of Records for the longest goal scored in football! Now that’s some incredible versatility.

#9 Ted Radcliffe

Double Action Moment - Playing as both pitcher and catcher

Theodore Roosevelt "Double Duty" Radcliffe is well known for being an accomplished competitor in the Negro Leagues – professional baseball leagues in the USA for African-Americans and Latin-Americans.

Radcliffe is famous for playing as both a pitcher and a catcher. It’s very common for a player to do batting and bowling in cricket, but doing the corresponding thing in baseball is almost unheard of.

Roosevelt’s nickname ‘Double Duty’ was coined by Damon Runyon when the latter saw him play as a catcher and as a pitcher in a double header between Pittsburg Crawfords and the Monroe Monarchs during the 1932 Negro League World Series.

Radcliffe represented more than 30 teams, with career stats of 4,000 hits and 400 home runs. He won close to 500 games and had 4,000 strike-outs, which is probably why Runyon said that Radcliffe "was worth the price of two admissions."

#10 Sohail Tanvir

Double Action Moment - Bowling pace and spin in the same match

Most Indian fans will remember Sohail Tanvir as the star of the inaugural edition of the IPL. He picked up an astonishing 22 wickets in the 11 matches he played during the 2008 season, including a stunning spell of 6 for 14 against Chennai Super Kings.

His unorthodox bowling style of left-arm medium pace has also frequently caught the interest of cricket-watchers; he has an action that makes it seem like he lands the wrong foot at the crease just before releasing the ball, although that is not actually the case.

Tanvir has even more quirks to his name though. In just his second Test match, against India at Kolkata in 2007, the then 22-year-old discovered that his medium pace bowling wasn’t having much effect on the placid track. So in the 65th over of the Indian first innings, with the score reading 250 for 2, Tanvir switched to left-arm orthodox spin!

He sent down three overs with his slow left-arm bowling, and although he didn’t achieve great success with the change-up, his double duty certainly gave the cricket world a lot to talk about!

Edited by Staff Editor