5 sons of great cricketers who are ready to follow their fathers' footsteps

3. Tom Latham

Tom Latham

1992 World Cup hero Rod Latham had a nickname – Rockin’ Rod. As a 15-season domestic cricket veteran who has represented his country in Test cricket on four occasions and played 33 ODIs, his fierce competitiveness is not unheard of in the streets of Canterbury. The reluctance of gunning for the selector’s spot, however, has got to do more with his sons following his footsteps than the diminishing fire in the belly.

Although both his sons Matt and Tom have been involved in cricket for some time, it has been the latter who has gone from strength to strength playing for Canterbury before achieving the ultimate goal of earning a national cap. To this day, he has featured in 26 ODIs and 10 T20s, and is gradually cementing his spot at the top of the order in Tests.

In November last year, after a string of half-centuries that he failed to convert into big scores, Tom finally got the monkey off his back with a splendid 103 on the third day of the Abu Dhabi Test against Pakistan, albeit in a losing cause. With a similar 137 in the next match at Dubai – his sixth Test overall – the wicketkeeper-batsman seemed to have sealed his spot for a number of Tests to come.

His figures continue to overshadow that of his fathers’ and the old man could not be happier about it. Not much has been evident about the 23-year-old’s technique and style so as to comment on his resemblance with his father, but it is of no doubt that he is firmly set on the latter’s footsteps having now made it into the record books for being the third father-son duo to score an international century for the Kiwis.

4. Jake Lehmann

Jake Lehmann

Australian head coach Darren Lehmann has a bronze statue at Adelaide Oval. He has played 27 Tests for Australia and garnered most of his fame in the 117 times he has donned the prestigious Baggy Green in One Day Internationals. His all-time leading run scorer record in the 122-year-history of Sheffield Shield is looked at with veneration.

Bearing the surname of such a personality is hardly an uncomplicated job, and many would yield under the burden of it, 22-year-old Jake Lehmann, however, is built of a different material. While constantly aware of the endless comparisons with his father, he answers questions in the quintessential laconic manner of an Australian looking to carve out a niche for himself.

Jake is a left-handed batsman and a slow left-arm orthodox bowler like his father. But the similarities end right there. South Australian coach Darren Berry, who has observed both the generations closely, comments, “So far, I haven’t seen him smoke or drink and he’s got a slightly different body shape to his old man.”

Instead of following his father to the core, Jake is more interested in making a mark in the domestic circuit with his individuality. An exceptional season with the East Torrents in the grade competition and a couple of impressive performances in the pre-season matches for Redbacks earned him a rookie contract for South Australia last year.

The ultimate Baggy Green dream continues to inspire him, as does the credentials of his dad, but the realistic southpaw knows he has to make it count in State cricket before he gets an opportunity to strike gold in international platform. Two fifties in two first-class matches against formidable opponents like Victoria and Queensland may be just the beginning of a career Jake had been looking for.