Is there any cricketer who started his career as a batsman but ended as a bowler or vice-versa?

 Category- 1 : Started as a Batsman, ended being a Bowler (Few)

1. Ravi Ashwin would be the Best example- Started as an Opening Batsman, but is (was rather) Dhoni’s Go-to man and India’s strike Bowler.

2. Shahid Afridi who made a world record for the fastest century is now remembered more for his faster ones :P

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3. Ravindra Jadeja- It would be gross injustice to exclude Sir Ravindrasinh Anirudhsinh Jadeja from the List, who holds an enviable record of scoring 3 Triple Centuries in First Class Cricket. In the process he equalled Sir Don Bradman’s Tally and became the first Indian to do so (Something which even Dravid, Gavaskar and Sachin failed to do), That too at an age of just abt 23 :O

However, of late he has struggled with the bat (and has ended up being the butt of the SIR Jokes) and plays in d team as a Bowling All rounder. In the South Africa Series, his role was dat of a specialist Spinner.

Category- 2: Started as a Bowler, ended being a Batsman

1. Steve Smith- who would have believed that a Baby faced leg spinner with Warnesque action would go on to become the No.1 test Batsman in the world and equal Bradman for centuries in 4 consecutive tests. Add captaining Australia and scoring 3 centuries in first 3 matches.

2. Mark Richardson- started his career as a Left Arm Spinner, batting at No. 10 but went on to open in Tests for New Zealand.

3. Shoaib Malik- An off spinner with a Saqlain like action turned into a reliable batsman for Pakistan.

4. Scott Styris- Started his career as Medium Fast bowler and his Maiden ODI wicket was that of Sachin himself. Slowly he turned into a reliable Middle order Batsman.

Then, there are other contenders like Jayasuriya, Shane Watson, James Franklin, Cameron White for the 2nd Category

Cricket: What are the instances in which a part-time bowler unexpectedly destroyed the opponents?

 Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey, Ricky Ponting, Shane Watson, and Cameron White. Each of them was a top-class batsman who could make a mockery of any top-rated international bowler. And, if the pitch favoured batting, any bowler would give up bowling for the day.

The situation was similar in 2008 in Delhi in a Test match between Australia and India. Batting first, India posted 613 runs before declaring.

Given the conditions, it was sure that Australia too would put up a high score. And the start Australia got echoed the same. Zaheer and Ishant were being smacked ruthlessly by the Aussies. Mishra and Kumble were able to control the runs, but Hayden and Ponting’s rock-solid defence seemed impregnable that day.

A helpless Kumble tossed the ball to Sehwag. Sehwag’s first wicket was Matthew Hayden who got out to a plumb LBW.

Sehwag’s next victim was Ricky Ponting who was lured by an easy looking ball and was bowled. The turn Sehwag got on that ball was pretty impressive.

He managed to then get the better of Michael Hussey, Shane Watson and Cameron White.

And what was special was the turn he got on a pure batting pitch. All of his victims were either bowled or trapped for LBW.

He managed to pick up 5 wickets giving an excess of 100 runs in 40 overs, but still, he was the most economic bowler of the match.

Now that’s a rare feat, especially for a part-timer.

Sehwag, the batsman, often destroyed the opponents, but this time, it was Sehwag, the bowler’s turn.