Roelof van der Merwe came back to haunt South Africa in the 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup as he picked two crucial wickets in the Netherlands' stunning 38-run victory over the Proteas at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Tuesday evening.
The spinner removed captain Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen which jolted the top order and South Africa could never really recover from that loss.
David Miller and Keshav Maharaj scored 43 and 40 respectively to put up some resistance, but their efforts were too little to save them from their first loss against a non-test-playing nation.
Interestingly, Van der Merwe had earlier represented South Africa and had played 13 ODIs for the Proteas picking up 17 wickets. However, in 2015, he got a Dutch passport and then started representing the Oranje Army since then.
What is the eligibility process for cricketers to play for two international teams?
Cricket players can switch between international teams, but the eligibility process depends on certain criteria established by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Here are the key points regarding player eligibility for international cricket teams:
Eligibility Rules: The ICC has set specific eligibility rules for players looking to represent different international teams.
Full Member to Associate Team: If a cricketer has previously played for a Full Member nation, they must wait three years from their last match for that Full Member team before being eligible to play for an Associate team.
Associate Team to Full Member Team: In contrast, if a cricketer plays for an Associate team first, they can immediately switch to a Full Member team without waiting.
An example of a cricketer who played for two different nations is Billy Midwinter. In fact, he was the first player to play for two different countries. He played two Test matches for Australia in 1877 and then appeared for England in four Tests in 1881–82. Within a year, he was representing Australia again.
Which cricketers have played for two international teams in ODIs?
| Name | Team | Career | Matches | Runs | HS | Avg | 100 | Wkt | BB | Avg | 4WI | Ct | St |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batting | Bowling | Fielding | |||||||||||
| Kepler Wessels | Australia | 1983–85 | 54 | 1740 | 107 | 36.25 | 1 | 18 | 2/16 | 36.38 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| South Africa | 1991–94 | 55 | 1627 | 90 | 32.54 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 30 | 0 | |
| Clayton Lambert | West Indies | 1990–98 | 12 | 368 | 119 | 33.45 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| USA | 2004 | 1 | 39 | 39 | 39.00 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Anderson Cummins | West Indies | 1991–95 | 63 | 459 | 44* | 15.30 | 0 | 78 | 5/31 | 28.79 | 3 | 11 | 0 |
| Canada | 2007 | 13 | 27 | 9* | 4.50 | 0 | 13 | 3/60 | 48.53 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Dougie Brown | England | 1997–98 | 9 | 99 | 21 | 24.75 | 0 | 7 | 2/28 | 43.57 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Scotland | 2006–07 | 16 | 220 | 50* | 15.71 | 0 | 15 | 3/37 | 40.93 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Geraint Jones | England | 2004–06 | 49 | 815 | 80 | 24.69 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 68 | 4 |
| PNG | 2014 | 2 | 47 | 25 | 23.50 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | |
| Ed Joyce | England | 2006–07 | 17 | 471 | 107 | 27.70 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 6 | 0 |
| Ireland | 2011–18 | 61 | 2151 | 160* | 41.36 | 5 | – | – | – | – | 21 | 0 | |
| Eoin Morgan | Ireland | 2006–09 | 23 | 744 | 115 | 35.42 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 9 | 0 |
| England | 2009–22 | 225 | 6957 | 148 | 39.75 | 12 | – | – | – | – | 78 | 0 | |
| Boyd Rankin | Ireland | 2007–12 2016–20 | 68 | 95 | 18* | 7.91 | 0 | 96 | 4/15 | 28.27 | 3 | 17 | 0 |
| England | 2013–14 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 5.00 | 0 | 10 | 4/46 | 24.10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Luke Ronchi | Australia | 2008 | 4 | 76 | 64 | 38.00 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 5 | 2 |
| New Zealand | 2013–17 | 81 | 1321 | 170* | 23.17 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 100 | 10 | |
| Mark Chapman | Hong Kong | 2015 | 2 | 151 | 124* | 151.00 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 12 | 0 |
| New Zealand | 2018–23 | 10 | 229 | 101* | 25.44 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 2 | 0 | |
| Xavier Marshall | West Indies | 2005–09 | 24 | 375 | 157* | 17.85 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 9 | 0 |
| United States | 2019–20 | 13 | 221 | 50 | 17.00 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 3 | 0 | |
| Roelof van der Merwe | South Africa | 2009–10 | 13 | 39 | 12 | 9.75 | 0 | 17 | 3/27 | 33.00 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Netherlands | 2019–21 | 3 | 57 | 57 | 57.00 | 0 | 2 | 1/27 | 62.00 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Rusty Theron | South Africa | 2010 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5.00 | 0 | 12 | 5/44 | 14.41 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| United States | 2019–22 | 14 | 45 | 12 | 5.00 | 0 | 19 | 4/56 | 26.00 | 1 | 3 | 0 | |
| Hayden Walsh | United States | 2019 | 1 | 27 | 27 | 27.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| West Indies | 2019–22 | 21 | 128 | 46* | 16.00 | 0 | 28 | 5/39 | 31.50 | 2 | 4 | 0 | |
| David Wiese | South Africa | 2015–16 | 6 | 102 | 41* | 20.40 | 0 | 9 | 3/50 | 35.11 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Namibia | 2022 | 9 | 228 | 67 | 28.50 | 0 | 6 | 2/22 | 61.66 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Gary Ballance | England | 2013–15 | 16 | 297 | 79 | 21.21 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 22 | 0 |
| Zimbabwe | 2023 | 5 | 157 | 64* | 39.25 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 5 | 0 | |
Which cricketers have played for two international teams in Tests?
| Name | Team | Career | Matches | Runs | HS | Avg | 100 | Wkt | BB | Avg | 5WI | Ct | St |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batting | Bowling | Fielding | |||||||||||
| Billy Midwinter | Australia | 1877–87 | 8 | 174 | 37 | 13.38 | 0 | 14 | 5/78 | 23.78 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| England | 1881–82 | 4 | 95 | 36 | 13.57 | 0 | 10 | 4/81 | 27.20 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Billy Murdoch | Australia | 1877–90 | 18 | 896 | 211 | 32.00 | 2 | – | – | – | – | 14 | 0 |
| England | 1892 | 1 | 12 | 12 | 12.00 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | |
| J. J. Ferris | Australia | 1887–90 | 8 | 98 | 20* | 8.16 | 0 | 48 | 5/26 | 14.25 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| England | 1892 | 1 | 16 | 16 | 16.00 | 0 | 13 | 7/37 | 7.00 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Sammy Woods | Australia | 1888 | 3 | 32 | 18 | 5.33 | 0 | 5 | 2/35 | 24.20 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| England | 1896 | 3 | 122 | 53 | 30.50 | 0 | 5 | 3/28 | 25.80 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Frank Hearne | England | 1889 | 2 | 47 | 27 | 23.50 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 |
| South Africa | 1892–96 | 4 | 121 | 30 | 15.12 | 0 | 2 | 2/40 | 20.00 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Albert Trott | Australia | 1895 | 3 | 205 | 85* | 102.50 | 0 | 9 | 8/43 | 21.33 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| England | 1899 | 2 | 23 | 16 | 5.75 | 0 | 17 | 5/49 | 11.64 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Frank Mitchell | England | 1899 | 2 | 88 | 41 | 22.00 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 2 | 0 |
| South Africa | 1912 | 3 | 28 | 12 | 4.66 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | |
| Nawab of Pataudi (snr) | England | 1932–34 | 3 | 144 | 102 | 28.80 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| India | 1946 | 3 | 55 | 22 | 11.00 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | |
| Gul Mohammad | India | 1946–52 | 8 | 166 | 34 | 11.06 | 0 | 2 | 2/21 | 12.00 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Pakistan | 1956 | 1 | 39 | 27* | 39.00 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | |
| Abdul Hafeez Kardar | India | 1946 | 3 | 80 | 43 | 16.00 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 |
| Pakistan | 1952–58 | 23 | 847 | 93 | 24.91 | 0 | 21 | 3/35 | 45.42 | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
| Amir Elahi | India | 1947 | 1 | 17 | 13 | 8.50 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| Pakistan | 1952 | 5 | 65 | 47 | 10.83 | 0 | 7 | 4/134 | 35.42 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Sammy Guillen | West Indies | 1951–52 | 5 | 104 | 54 | 26.00 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 9 | 2 |
| New Zealand | 1956 | 3 | 98 | 41 | 16.33 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 4 | 1 | |
| Kepler Wessels | Australia | 1982–85 | 24 | 1761 | 179 | 42.95 | 4 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| South Africa | 1992–94 | 16 | 1027 | 118 | 38.03 | 2 | – | – | – | – | 12 | 0 | |
| John Traicos | South Africa | 1970 | 3 | 8 | 5* | 4.00 | 0 | 4 | 2/70 | 51.75 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Zimbabwe | 1992–93 | 4 | 11 | 5 | 2.75 | 0 | 14 | 5/86 | 40.14 | 1 | 4 | 0 | |
| Boyd Rankin | England | 2014 | 1 | 13 | 13 | 6.50 | 0 | 1 | 1/47 | 81.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ireland | 2018–19 | 2 | 30 | 17 | 10.00 | 0 | 7 | 2/5 | 31.86 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Gary Ballance | England | 2014–17 | 23 | 1498 | 156 | 37.45 | 4 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Zimbabwe | 2023 | 1 | 155 | 137* | 155.00 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | |
| PJ Moor | Zimbabwe | 2014–2019 | 8 | 533 | 83 | 35.53 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 9 | 1 |
| Ireland | 2023 | 4 | 76 | 19 | 9.50 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | |
MORE: World Cup Player of the Tournament: Full list of previous winners
Which cricketers have played for two international teams in T20I?
| Name | Team | Career | Matches | Runs | HS | Avg | 50 | Wkt | BB | Avg | 4WI | Ct | St |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batting | Bowling | Fielding | |||||||||||
| Ed Joyce | England | 2006–07 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1.00 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| Ireland | 2012–14 | 16 | 404 | 78* | 36.72 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 5 | 0 | |
| Luke Ronchi | Australia | 2008–09 | 3 | 47 | 36 | 23.50 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| New Zealand | 2013–17 | 29 | 312 | 51* | 18.35 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 24 | 5 | |
| Dirk Nannes | Netherlands | 2009 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6.00 | 0 | 1 | 1/26 | 56.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Australia | 2009–10 | 15 | 16 | 12* | 16.00 | 0 | 27 | 4/18 | 14.92 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Boyd Rankin | Ireland | 2009–12 2016–20 | 48 | 64 | 16* | 9.14 | 0 | 54 | 3/16 | 22.12 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| England | 2013 | 2 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1/24 | 24.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Roelof van der Merwe | South Africa | 2009–10 | 13 | 57 | 48 | 19.00 | 0 | 14 | 2/14 | 21.78 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Netherlands | 2015– | 39 | 408 | 75* | 21.47 | 2 | 42 | 4/35 | 18.21 | 0 | 16 | 0 | |
| Mark Chapman | Hong Kong | 2014–16 | 19 | 392 | 63* | 23.05 | 1 | 3 | 1/10 | 25.66 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| New Zealand | 2018–23 | 40 | 937 | 104* | 36.03 | 7 | 1 | 1/9 | 22.00 | 0 | 17 | 0 | |
| Xavier Marshall | West Indies | 2008–09 | 6 | 96 | 36 | 16.00 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 3 | 0 |
| United States | 2019–21 | 14 | 204 | 47* | 18.54 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 2 | 0 | |
| Izatullah Dawlatzai | Afghanistan | 2012 | 4 | 0 | 0* | – | 0 | 6 | 3/33 | 22.33 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Germany | 2019–20 | 12 | 26 | 24* | 26.00 | 0 | 12 | 3/23 | 20.66 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Hayden Walsh | United States | 2019 | 8 | 114 | 28 | 19.00 | 0 | 6 | 2/21 | 20.00 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| West Indies | 2019–22 | 30 | 36 | 12* | 9.00 | 0 | 25 | 3/23 | 28.16 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| David Wiese | South Africa | 2013–16 | 20 | 92 | 28 | 13.14 | 0 | 24 | 5/23 | 20.70 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| Namibia | 2021–22 | 19 | 361 | 66* | 27.76 | 2 | 17 | 3/27 | 28.76 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Jade Dernbach | England | 2011–14 | 34 | 24 | 12 | 4.80 | 0 | 39 | 4/22 | 26.15 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Italy | 2021 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 7.00 | 0 | 5 | 1/17 | 30.00 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Amjad Khan | England | 2009 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2.00 | 0 | 2 | 2/34 | 17.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Denmark | 2021–22 | 8 | 47 | 16 | 7.83 | 0 | 5 | 2/25 | 23.20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Rusty Theron | South Africa | 2010–12 | 9 | 32 | 31* | – | 0 | 12 | 4/27 | 21.75 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| United States | 2021–22 | 9 | 9 | 7* | – | 0 | 12 | 3/16 | 18.00 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Michael Rippon | Netherlands | 2013–18 | 18 | 216 | 42 | 30.85 | 0 | 15 | 3/8 | 20.66 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| New Zealand | 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 2 | 2/37 | 37.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Daniel Jakiel | Zimbabwe | 2019 | 2 | – | – | – | – | 3 | 2/27 | 14.66 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malawi | 2022–23 | 13 | 67 | 18* | 22.33 | 0 | 17 | 5/11 | 19.52 | 1 | 3 | 0 | |
| Tim David | Singapore | 2019–20 | 14 | 558 | 92* | 46.50 | 4 | 5 | 1/18 | 51.00 | 0 | 12 | 0 |