10 cricketers who share their surnames with professions

Given that cricket is a game that is played in many countries across the globe, domestic tournaments ensure that more and more talent is unearthed to add more strength to the national outfits.

In the process, we've seen some players with names that are eye-catching that bring out the whimsical meanings in them. Here are ten such cricketers' surnames which match the names of professions in the world.

PS: This slider is aimed at only bringing out the comparisons. No offence intended, we respect the sport and the names!

#10 Vijay Merchant [India]

One of the most consistent domestic level batsmen that India has produced over time, Vijay Merchant holds the record for the highest batting average at the domestic level with 71.64, representing Mumbai.

Opening the batting at the domestic and international circuit, Merchant enjoyed a rather successful career. Although he represented India only in 10 test matches, the Mumbaikar had a healthy batting average to his profile with 859 runs from 10 matches.

In a career that spanned 18 years, Merchant was unfortunate to play only 10 test matches but made up at the domestic level and was one of the biggest influences in many victories for Mumbai.

#9 Bert Ironmonger [Australia]

One of the best left-arm spinners of all time, Bert Ironmonger's clever variations while delivering his left-arm medium spinning deliveries brought him a lot of success during his career.

The fourth oldest cricketer to make his test debut aged 45 years and 237 days, Ironmonger is famously known for his decimation of England in the 1931-32 season when he picked 11 wickets across both innings and at the end of the tour, he had picked 31 wickets at a stunning average of just 9.67.

The left-arm spinner enjoyed a rather prosperous national stint, picking up 74 wickets from just 14 matches at an average of 17.97 and an economy of 1.69.

#8 Mark Butcher [England]

Battling a career that was plagued by injuries and inconsistencies, Mark Butcher managed to play 71 tests and 13 T20Is for England. Coming into prominence in 1997 after a successful domestic season, Butcher started off well with two good centuries against South Africa and Australia.

However, his form dipped on and he lost his place to better batsmen. In 2001, he scripted a comeback with a whirlwind century against Australia that set a path to his constant presence in the squad that bolstered his confidence as he milked runs at will in the 2002 season.

After peaks and crests in the following years, Butcher was named the captain of the Surrey domestic team in 2005 but continuous injuries spelled the end of his career at the topmost level, and the player hung up his boots in 2009.

#7 Robert William 'Bob' Barber [England]

A southpaw and a wily wrist spinner, Bob Barber made optimum use of the limited opportunities he got at the international level. Barber initially represented Lancashire and consistent performances slotted him into the captain's role in the 1959-1960 season.

Soon enough, he saw himself taking to field for his debut test against South Africa and although he did not contribute much, his talent helped him keep his place and in 28 test matches, Barber scored 1495 runs and picked 42 wickets, although the wickets came at a rather steep average.

However, some issues forced Barber to shift base to Warwickshire, where he was given the freedom to express himself through his shot-making, after which he decided to call it quits in 1971.

#6 Lionel Simon Baker [West Indies]

Baker in West Indies colours

Although Baker did not enjoy an extended international cricket career, he entered the history books as only the first player from the tiny lands of Montserrat in the Caribbean nation.

Prior to his playing for the West Indies, Baker's consistency int he domestic circuit rewarded him with a two-year Leicestershire Country cricket contract as he fell into the bracket of cricketers who had a British passport. However, a West Indies call-up terminated the contract.

In November 2008, he made his debut against Pakistan and impressed with figures of 9-0-47-3 including wickets of Salman Butt, Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi. He only played nine more ODIs until he went out of national reckoning.

Baker has also played four tests for West Indies after making his debut against New Zealand in 2008 apart from the 15 T20Is in which he has picked 12 wickets.

#5 Ian Bishop [West Indies]

Ian Bishop celebrates a wicket

A promising talent during the time of West Indies' dominance in World cricket, Ian Bishop was unfortunate to lose out on playing time due to multiple back problems that hampered his game.

Tall and well-built, Bishop often depended on his outswingers that sharply moved away from the batsmen, and bounce that he extracted off the surface. In just 21 matches, Bishop reached the milestone of 100 wickets, but resurfacing injuries severely cut short his career. The Trinidadian ended with 161 wickets from 43 test matches and 118 wickets from 84 ODIs.

Post-retirement, Bishop tours the world and lends his voice to many tournaments and is recognized as one of the best commentators in the modern era.

#4 Ashley Nurse [West Indies]

Nurse in action for the Barbados Tridents in the CPL

Primarily a limited-overs cricketer, Nurse is an off-spinner who has tasted varied success in his short career. He made his T20 debut in 2011 against Pakistan at home but has played only five T20Is since.

In 2016, he made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka and returned with rich figures of 10-0-46-3, halting the Sri Lankan charge in the middle overs. Since then, he's been a constant presence in the ODI setup and has played 18 matches, picking up 26 wickets at an average of 27.34 and an economy of 4.66.

The Barbados-born cricketer has excelled in domestic cricket and was named the Regional Limited-overs Cricketer of the year in July 2017 by the West Indies' cricket board.

#3 Ian Butler [New Zealand]

Butler in action for New Zealand in the champions trophy

One of Butler's strongest suits was his ability to extract bounce even off a dead surface, a skill that he used to tremendous effect during his playing days. Butler made his test and ODI debut for New Zealand in 2002 at the back of an injury to speedster Shane Bond.

In his debut test, Butler finished with a five-wicket haul from the match and received accolades from all corners for his gutsy bowling. However, his career was shortened by Shane Bond's return and after his debut, Butler featured in 7 more tests in which he picked 19 wickets.

However, Butler enjoyed a lucrative T20 career in which he played 87 T20Is and picked 104 wickets at a rather steep economy of just over 8. He generally opened the bowling and was a member of the 2009 and 2010 World T20 squads.

#2 David Miller [South Africa]

Absolutely destructive with the bat, Miller has been labelled one of the best finishers in the game in addition to his electric fielding. Miller shot to prominence in 2010 after a fantastic series with South Africa A.

He became a regular only in 2013 as a finisher, a role that he is now more accustomed to in the present scenario. The swashbuckling left-hander enjoyed successful T20I and ODI debuts which kickstarted his journey to stardom. As a result of his pyrotechnics with the bat, Miller has represented many teams across global T20 tournaments.

In 99 ODIs, Miller amassed 2396 runs at an average of 39.27 and a strike rate of 102.26 while in T20Is, he has 906 runs from 55 matches at a brilliant strike rate of 134.02.

#1 Alastair Cook [England]

Cook drives en route to a half-century

Arguably one of England's best test batsmen, Cook holds the record for the most number of runs by an English batsman in the test format and is also the 2012 Wisden Cricketer of the Year awardee.

Cook started off his test career with a century on debut against India and holds the record for the least number of matches to 1,500,2000,3000,5000 and 10,000 runs in test cricket. Cook assumed the captaincy role full-time in 2012 and led England to its first win on Indian soil in 28 years.

In 2015, he overtook Graham Gooch as England's highest run scorer in tests and the same year became the first English batsman to 9000 runs. Cook has a plethora of records to his name and continues to score runs at the top of the order.

From 147 games, the ex-skipper has amassed 11629 runs at an average of 46.33 and in ODIs 92 matches have fetched him 3204 runs.