5 cricketers who are also good golfers 

Sports-persons who go on to play professionally at the highest level in any sport are almost always good enough to play many other sports. This facet also holds true for cricketers who have often shown aptitude for sports outside their comfort zones. For cricketers, golf has always been one of the preferred sports and it is a trend that continues to this day. Some of the examples are the likes of Shaun Pollock and Jacques Kallis who are known for looking for golf courses whilst touring with the South African cricket team.

However, most cricketers do treat golf as a leisurely activity. While many of them are actually good at it, most of them do not participate in tournaments or play at a level that can propel them to a status above an amateur enthusiast. Here are five cricketers who are also good golfers.

---

#5 Kevin Pietersen

Kevin Pietersen used to be an avid golfer even when he was touring all over the world with the England cricket team. However, following his well-documented expulsion from the England side, he has had far more time on his hands to indulge in his passion for golf. As an amateur golfer, he is definitely right up there with many other cricketers who have taken to the game quite seriously.

Pietersen has played in plenty of golf championships over the years and has proven to be an excellent golfer. South African golfing legend Ernie Els, who briefly stepped into the Sky Sports commentary box during a Test match earlier this year, had a lot of good things to say about Pietersen's prowess as a golfer. Els enthused, "He's not a bad player. I think he shoots in the eighties. He's very competitive."

#4 Sir Viv Richards

Sir Vivian Richards during the 2015 New Zealand Open

Unarguably, Sir Viv Richards was one of the greatest batsmen to grace the game of cricket. According to his own admission, he could have even become a golfer. However, that would have robbed cricket of its quintessential batting icon. The legendary batsman used to be a keen golfer during his formative years in Antigua and had dreams of play the sport professionally before he eventually entered into cricket.

Extra Cover: SK Elite - When Viv Richards played the greatest ODI innings of all-time

However, he remains a very passionate golfer and has a handicap of 4 which he wishes to further improve. Richards has also taken part in golf tournaments across the globe. Speaking to Wisden India back in 2013, he shed light into his passion for the sport. He revealed, “With the passion that I have for it now and maybe as a young kid who could have become good at it and had the same sort of belief you had as a cricketer, yes. Even after all my achievements in cricket, I’d still trade them.”

#3 Kapil Dev

Kapil Dev at the Costa Smeralda Invitational

Kapil Dev, one of India's greatest ever cricketers, could not stay away from picking up a new sport after his retirement. Following a career that spanned almost 16 years, he immediately took to golf as one of his sporting endeavours. Initially, he had no idea about the sport when he arrived at the Delhi Golf Club back in 1994. Upon taking a liking to its nature, he started to hone his skills before participating in various golf tournaments.

During a candid chat with HKGolfer, he affirmed, “I was amazed. Golf is a game where you compete against yourself.” Over the years, he has participated in numerous golf tournaments including those held outside of India. Having achieved a reasonable amount of success in golf, there is no doubt that he has proven himself to be a versatile sportsman.

#2 Ajit Agarkar

Ajit Agarkar at a golf tournament

Ajit Agarkar may have hung up his bowling boots years ago and transformed himself into an expert analyst capable of reading the game without any hint of bias. Aside from his accomplishments with cricket, he also has a passion for golf as well and has emerged as a very competent player in the Indian corporate circuit.

Last year, Agarkar qualified for the Indian final of the BMR World Corporate Golf Challenge by finishing second in the Mumbai leg of the tournament. During the national finals held earlier this year in Bengaluru, the former seam bowler and his partner went on to win the Indian final of the tournament. After spending a few more years in the circuit, he can certainly move up to professional level since there is no dearth of golfing talent inside him.

#1 Craig Kieswetter

Craig Kieswetter at the BMW PGA Championship

Wicket-keeper batsman Craig Kieswetter was a major revelation during England's successful campaign in the 2010 World T20. With his dynamic batting at the top of the order, he set the stage ablaze. However, his career began to dwindle in subsequent times. In 2014, he suffered a horrific injury while playing for Somerset and was forced to retire from cricket.

Not the one to wallow in self-pity, Kieswetter picked up golf and played in a few local tournaments held in South Africa. He went on to train with golf instructor David Leadbetter. Having shown enormous natural talent for the game, he rose to became a golf professional. The erstwhile right-hander played in the European Tour quite regularly. During last year, he participated in the MENA Golf Tour and EuroPro Tour. In 2017, Kieswetter finally became a professional golfer. He managed to finish a creditable 38th in the Dubai Creek Open.