7 cricketers born in countries alien to cricket

#2 Ted Dexter (England)

Ted Dexter was Englands original swashbuckler on the cricket field

Much before Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen arrived on the scene, there was Edward Ted Dexter. A powerful striker of the cricket ball, the six-foot tall England captain dominated fast bowling with a grace befitting a king, having once smashed a 73-minute 70 against the fearsome duo of Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith. Six of his nine Test centuries went beyond the 140 mark, and Lord Ted could play in both attack mode as well as in graft mode. Successive Ashes defeats, however, led to his criticism as a captain, despite his personal form being unaffected.

The former Sussex player was born in Milan, Italy a place now known more for its football teams and studied at Cambridge, where he also excelled at golf and rugby. His tenure as captain of the English team was a mixed bag, yet he commanded immense respect among spectators and fans alike. His buccaneering style suited the One-day format quite well, particularly in the Sunday League. A freak injury ended his playing career, and he went on to become chairman of the England Cricket Selectors til 1993.

Till date, Dexter remains the only Italy-born player to represent a full member of the Test-playing nations.