7 Father-Son pairs to have played international cricket

There are some cricketers who have cricket in their blood. Their childhood hero was their father who played cricket at the highest level.

Be it scoring runs or picking up wickets or contributing to the team's success in the field, the son or daughter will look to replicate their father's performance on the field when they grow up. Their father was their first coach and inspired them to play cricket professionally and represent their country at the highest level.

On the occasion of father's day, here is a look at seven such father-son pairs to have played cricket at the international level.

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#7 Lala Amarnath and Mohinder Amarnath

Mohinder Amarnath followed his father Lala Amarnath's footsteps and played international cricket for India

The father-son duo have done wonders for Indian cricket. Lala Amarnath was the first Indian cricketer to score a Test century for India. He also has the first captain for India post-Independence.

Lala Amarnath played 24 Test matches for India in a career of 19 years. His average of 24.38 at the Test level with the bat and 32.91 with the ball is really surprising considering that he achieved great heights at the domestic level.

Lala Amarnath scored 10,426 runs in 184 First Class Games at an impressive average of 41.37 with 31 centuries and 59 half-centuries. The fact that he was an effective all-rounder is evidenced by the fact that 463 wickets in First Class cricket at an average of 22.98. It was disappointing that Lala Amarnath could not replicate the performances at the international level.

Mohinder Amarnath was one of the architects of the Indian World Cup victory in 1983 and was awarded the Man of the Man Match award in the semifinals and the finals of the World Cup.

Mohinder was adjudged the Man of the series too in India’s maiden triumph at the World stage. Mohinder represented India in 69 Tests and scored 4378 runs in 113 innings at an average of 42.50. Out of his 11 Test centuries, nine were scored outside India which shows that he was not a flat track bully.

Though he did not have express pace with the ball, he was a handy swing bowler and picked up wickets at vital stages for India. He represented India in 85 ODIs also and averaged 30.54 with the bat and picked up 46 wickets too for India.

#6 Vijay and Sanjay Manjrekar:

Vijay Manjrekar and Sanjay Manjrekar both played Test cricket for India

Vijay Manjrekar played Test matches for India from 1952 to 1965. Vijay rose to limelight when he scored his maiden Test century against England at Headingley at the age of just 20. He represented India in 55 Tests and scored 3208 runs at an average of 39.12 with seven centuries and 15 half-centuries to his credit.

His First Class record is really impressive with 12832 runs in 198 matches with 38 centuries and 56 half-centuries and a healthy average of 49.92. Sadly, he could not perform with same consistency for India at the international level.

Sanjay Manjrekar had a very promising start to his Test career but could not live up to his potential. In a career spanning over nine years, he represented India in just 37 Tests and 74 ODIs. He averaged 37.14 in Tests and 33.23 in ODIs.

He was in and out of the Indian team and with the emergence of youngsters like Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and V.V.S. Laxman in the Indian team, Sanjay found it hard to make it consistently in the Indian squad in the late 1990s. Post-retirement, he is a successful and a respected commentator and a sharp and an accurate analyzer of the game.

#5 Sunil and Rohan Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar and Rohan Gavaskar building a partnership in the commentary box

Sunil Gavaskar is remembered by one and all as the best Test opener India has ever produced. He ended his Test career with more than 10000 Test runs and was the leading Test scorer for India until Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar surpassed him.

The right-handed opening batsman from Mumbai averaged a healthy 51.12 in 214 Test innings with 34 centuries and 45 half-centuries to his credit. The Little Master represented India in 108 ODIs and averaged a healthy 35.13.

He had an impressive First Class career and scored 25834 runs at an average of 51.46 in 348 matches with 81 centuries and 105 half-centuries. Sunil is one of the most respected commentators in the game of cricket at present.

Rohan Gavaskar could not replicate his father’s performance at the international level as he was hardly given an opportunity to represent the country.

Rohan played just 11 ODIs for India in the year 2004 and since then was never picked in the national team. He has scored 6938 First Class runs at an average of 44.19. Post-retirement, Rohan has also taken up commentary.

#4 Roger and Stuart Binny

Stuart Binny too is an

all rounder

like his father Roger Binny

One of the architects' behind India's wins in the 1983 World Cup was Roger Binny who was the top wicket-taker in the tournament with 18 wickets. He also picked up 17 wickets in the 1985 World Series Championship and led India to the champions tag in the trophy. Roger played 27 Tests and 72 ODIs for India and was an effective all-rounder.

He averaged 23.05 in Test cricket with the bat and 32.63 with the ball. He was one of the better fielders of the Indian team during his playing days. Post-retirement, he was a part of the selection panel for the Indian team appointed by BCCI.

Stuart Binny holds the record of having the best bowling figures for an Indian bowler in ODIs. In an ODI against Bangladesh, Binny had figures of six wickets for four runs and led India to an impressive win.

Stuart in his stop-start international career has represented India in 6 Tests and 14 ODIs. However, he has not been given a consistent run to prove his worth at international level. Stuart still plays First Class cricket and was a part of the Rajasthan Royals team in the 2018 IPL.

#3 Chris and Stuart Broad:

Chris Broad and Stuart Broad both have played international cricket for England

In today’s date, Chris Broad is one of the most respected match referees in the game of cricket. Chris, a former English cricketer, played 25 Tests and averaged an impressive 39.54 with six centuries and six half-centuries.

Chris could not convert his impressive start to his Test career and was subsequently left out of the English squad after just 25 Tests. His son Stuart Broad has tasted more success in international cricket and that would indeed be a proud moment for Chris.

Stuart on the other end is emerging as one of the best pace bowlers England have ever produced.

Pairing Jimmy Anderson, the duo are the most successful bowling pair in the history of Test cricket. Broad has picked up 417 Test wicket and is second only to Anderson. Stuart is 31 years of age and by the time he calls it a day he might end up as England’s most successful Test bowler.

He is a handy batsman lower down the order and has a Test century to his credit. In 171 innings, Stuart has scored 2976 runs at an average of almost 20.

#2 Lance and Chris Cairns

Lance Cairns and Chris Cairns both have been great servants of New Zealand cricket

Both Lance and Chris Cairns were great servants of New Zealand cricket. Lance played 43 Tests and 78 ODIs for New Zealand. He scored just 928 runs at the Test level at an average of 16.28.

He was more successful with the ball at the Test level and picked up 130 wickets at an average of 32.92. Even in ODIs, he was more successful with the ball which is evidenced by his bowling average of 30.52 as compared to a dismal batting average of 16.72.

Chris Cairns is one of the best all-rounders to have played the game. Chris was an aggressive batsman and a decent pace bowler.

Chris was named one of the five Wisden cricketers in the year 2000. Chris played 62 Tests in which he averaged around 33 with the bat and 29 with the ball and 215 ODIs in which he averaged around 30 with the bat and 32 with the ball.

He was a true match winner on his day and single-handedly many matches for New Zealand.

#1 Geoff, Shaun and Mitchell Marsh

The Marsh brothers are the mainstay of the current Australian Test team

Geoff represented Australia in 50 Tests and 117 ODIs from 1985 to 1992. Geoff averaged around 33 in Test matches and almost 40 in ODI cricket. Post-retirement he coached the Australian team and was the coach when Australia won the 1999 World Cup in England.

Shaun Marsh scored a century on Test debut against Sri Lanka in 2011 and promised to go down as one of the great Australian cricketers.

Since then Shaun has not set world cricket on fire. In a career of 32 Tests, Shaun averages 37.6 in 57 innings with six centuries and nine half-centuries. In 53 ODI innings, Shaun averages 37.65.

Shaun has been in and out of the Australian team in the last 7 years due to his inconsistent performances.

Mitchell Marsh is one of the most promising young cricketers to be playing the game currently.

Mitchell has seemed to be a perfect successor for Shane Watson. With his aggressive batting and accurate bowling.

Mitchell is a regular for Australia in all the three formats i.e. Tests, ODI and T 20s. Mitchell has played 90 international matches for Australia and will be the key player for Australia in future.

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Which of these Father-Son pairs have been the most exciting? Sound off in the comments section below!