Dutch all-rounder Bas de Leede joined a rare group of cricketers at the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 who have followed in their fathers` footsteps into the tournament. Mid-Day looks at the seven father-son pairings to have featured at the global showpiece.
Tim and Bas de Leede
Tim de Leede took 4-34 to help skittle out India for just 204 at the 2003 World Cup in South Africa with Sachin Tendulkar one of his victims. “Umpire Peter Willey gave the ball to me as a momento. I wanted Sachin to sign it, but by the time I`d done media duties, the India team had left,” de Leede told ESPNcricinfo. “Some years later, Tendulkar was in the Netherlands getting some treatment on an elbow injury and a physio friend tipped me off. He was gracious, remembered the game and kindly signed it for me.” On Friday, Bas also took four wickets on his World Cup debut against Pakistan — the first father-son duo with four-wicket hauls in the history of the tournament.
Don and Derek Pringle
Manchester-born Don Pringle left England to settle in Kenya in the late 1950s and according to teammate Mike Brown was “the finest pace bowler Kenya ever produced”. Pringle played in the inaugural 1975 World Cup for East Africa, a team made up of Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, and Tanzania. He played two matches, against India and England. Son Derek was born in Kenya and went on to play in 30 Tests and 44 ODIs for England. He played at the 1987 and 1992 World Cups. In the 1992 final in Melbourne, he took 3-32 but Pakistan triumphed by 22 runs.
Lance and Chris Cairns
Lance played in three World Cups in 1975, 1979, 1983 while Chris went one better, appearing at the 1992, 1996, 1999 and 2003 tournaments. Lance went into cricket folklore with his “wrong-foot” delivery stride and for wielding his “Excalibur” bat to hit six sixes in a 21-ball 50 in an ODI against Australia in 1983. Chris Cairns racked up 215 ODIs in his career, was just 50 runs short of 5,000 and claimed more than 200 wickets. At World Cups, his best score was 60 and best bowling performance was 3-19.
Rod and Tom Latham
Like Bas de Leede, Tom Latham is also playing at the 2023 World Cup, keeping wicket and captaining the side while Kane Williamson recovers from injury. Tom cracked a quickfire 53 against the Dutch on Monday. Opening batsman Rod Latham played 33 ODIs and featured at the 1992 World Cup, making 60 in a seven-wicket win over South Africa in Auckland.
Kevin and Sam Curran
Cricket`s in the genes for Sam Curran whose two brothers Ben and Tom are also professionals while father Kevin played for Zimbabwe. Grandfather, also Kevin, competed for Rhodesia. Father Kevin played 11 ODIs for Zimbabwe, all at World Cups in 1983 and 1987. In 1983, he made 73 against India, 62 facing West Indies and was part of the team which shocked Australia by 32 runs in Southampton. Sam is at his first World Cup, having already made his Test debut at 19 and then starring as England won the T20 World Cup last year. In the IPL this year, Punjab Kings made him the most expensive buy of all time at £1.85 million.
Chris and Stuart Broad
Opening batsman Chris Broad played 25 Tests and 34 ODIs for England and is best remembered as a player for his three hundreds in England`s victorious 1986/87 Ashes campaign in Australia. His son Stuart also started life as a top-order batsman as a youngster, but focused more on his seam bowling after a growth spurt and went on to become England`s second-leading Test wicket-taker of all-time with 604. Stuart played 121 ODIs but only one World Cup in 2015. Chris became a match referee, even fining his son 15 percent of his match fee for using “inappropriate language” during a Test against Pakistan in 2020.
Geoff, Mitchell and Shaun Marsh
Geoff Marsh was a mainstay of the Australia team in the late 1980s and early 90s, scoring 2,854 Test runs and 4,357 in ODIs. He played in Australia`s 1987 World Cup winning side. Shaun played two matches at the 2019 World Cup while Mitchell is still a regular for the Aussies and is playing at this World Cup. He played a match-winning innings in the 2021 T20 World Cup final against New Zealand, returned to the Test side with an Ashes hundred this year and is opening the batting at the ongoing global showpiece in the absence of the injured Travis Head.
(With inputs from agencies)
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