The ODI World Cup is the biggest cricket tournament to take place in the game. It started back in 1975, with West Indies winning the first two editions. So far, 12 successful editions have taken place, with England hosting the most with five. Over the years, 20 countries have taken part in this tournament, with Australia winning the most five times.
India and West Indies have won it twice. It is always a dream for a player to represent his country on the biggest stage. There are many big players who have played in a number of World Cup editions. But then, there are a few players who have played in the ODI World Cup for two different countries. That’s what we will talk about here in this article.
Players to Play ODI World Cup for Two Countries
| Player | 1st Country | 2nd Country |
|---|---|---|
| Kepler Wessels | Australia (1983) | South Africa (1992) |
| Anderson Cummins | West Indies (1992) | Canada (2007) |
| Ed Joyce | England (2007) | Ireland (2011 & 2015) |
| Eoin Morgan | Ireland (2007) | England (2011, 2015 & 2019) |
1. Kepler Wessels – Australia (1983) and South Africa (1992)
Kepler Wessels is one of the best-known cricketers on this list. The former opener played for Australia and South Africa during his international career. He made his debut for Australia in 1983 and played until 1985. During his tenure, he played in the 1983 World Cup for Australia in England. He played three games and scored 92 runs. Later, he changed his nationality and played for South Africa between 1991 and 1994, when he returned to cricket after a ban. Wessels played in the 1992 World Cup for South Africa. In fact, he was one of the top scorers and scored 313 runs in nine games, including three half-centuries.
2. Anderson Cummins – West Indies (1992) and Canada (2007)
Another cricketer who played in the World Cup for two countries was Anderson Cummins. The former all-rounder started playing the game for West Indies and represented his original country in 1991 and 1995 in 63 ODIs. In this period, he played in the 1992 World Cup for them. He was the West Indies’ highest wicket-taker in the tournament. He took 12 wickets in six games at an economy rate of 4.16. Then he went on to play for Canada in 2007 and the World Cup in the same year. He played three games and took two wickets for Canada. Later, he retired after the World Cup.
3. Ed Joyce – England (2007) and Ireland (2011 & 2015)
Ed Joyce is another player to have played for two countries. He played in three World Cup editions in 2007, 2011, and 2015. He made his debut for England in 2006 and played until 2007. He was part of England’s 2007 World Cup squad. He played five games and scored 152 runs. Later, he moved to Ireland and played cricket for them between 2011 and 2018, playing two World Cups for Ireland. In the 2011 World Cup, he scored 176 runs in six games, while in the 2015 World Cup, he scored 246 runs in six innings for Ireland.
4. Eoin Morgan – Ireland (2007) and England (2011, 2015 & 2019)
Eoin Morgan is probably the most successful player on this list. He was part of Ireland at the 2007 World Cup in West Indies. He was an integral part of the Irish team at the top of the order. Later, Morgan switched country in 2009 and played for England until 2022. In this period, he played in three editions (2011, 2015, and 2019). Overall, he played 29 World Cup games and scored 672 runs, including one hundred and three centuries. The most important thing is that he led England to their maiden World Cup title in 2019 and is the only English captain to do so.