5 cricketers who started out as bowlers but became successful batsmen

#2 Nasser Hussain

Nasser Hussain, one of England’s greatest captains and a fine batsman in his own right, began his career as a leg-spin bowler before switching trades. As a captain, he was feisty on the field but had a level head on his shoulders when it came to batting. A lot of natural talent, very good hands and a good eye made him a safe bet at the No.3 position in the Test side from where he anchored England to some famous wins.

An extremely talented leg-spinner in his early days, Hussain became the youngest ever player to be selected for Essex Under-15s. However, his bowling went pear-shaped when he grew in height all of a sudden. In his own words, "I went from bowling out Graham Gooch in the indoor school with everyone watching, to hitting the roof of the net or bowling triple-bouncers to deadly silence.”

Thankfully, though, he managed to hone his batting skills and carve out a fruitful international career. In the 96 Tests that he played, he scored 5764 runs at an average of 36.48, including 14 centuries and 33 half-centuries. Playing 88 ODIs, he accumulated 2332 runs at an average of 30.29 with one century and 16 half-centuries.