The acting XI: From Wasim Akram to Harbhajan Singh, cricketers who became movie stars
After conquering cricket fields, captivating commentary boxes, capturing trophies as coach and selling products via commercials, Wasim Akram has stepped in the world of cinema. By appearing in comedian-turned-director Faisal Qureshi’s Money Back Guarantee, he joins a league of extraordinary cricketers who are credited to have played for the gallery, both in the cinema as well as the stadium.
Gen X knows him as the best left-arm fast bowler the cricketing world has ever seen, while millennials associate him with a washing powder. We’ve compiled a team of famous cricketers who have acted in movies, mostly after bidding adieu to the game.
Famous cricketers and commercials go hand in hand. Cricketers have sold hair creams, shaving blades, soft drinks, cereal as well as paan masalas, but shaking a leg and wooing a girl in front of a camera is a daunting task for them. A team of 16 (including reserves and a manager) can easily be compiled of cricketers who have tried their luck in motion pictures.
The list consists of a safe pair of opening batsmen, a reliable middle order, an agile wicket-keeper, a deadly fast bowling duo, bankable spinners as well as an enviable bench strength.
Openers
Sunil Gavaskar aka Sunny — Captain
The first man to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket, a safe fielder in slips and member of the Indian team that won the World Cup in 1983, Gavaskar is the best bet to open the innings. Although known for his cameo in Naseeruddin Shah’s Maalamaal (1988), Sunny actually acted in a Marathi film Savli Premachi back in the 70s. The film had a very young Vikram Gokhale (famous for roles in Agneepath, Khuda Gawah and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam) and veteran Dr Shreeram Lagoo.
Sadly, Sunny’s acting career was not as successful as his cricketing one, where he went on to play 125 Test matches.
Mohsin Khan
Gavaskar’s partner, the man at the other end, could be none other than the dashing Mohsin Khan. An elegant batsman in both appearance and batting, he was one of the few to have scored a double century at Lord’s. He married leading Bollywood actor Reena Roy in the mid-80s, quit cricket and went on to act in Bollywood films, making his debut in JP Dutta’s Batwara (1989) alongside heavyweights Dharamendra, Vinod Khanna and Amrish Puri.
He soon crossed the border and featured in Lollywood — Raaz, Haathi Mere Saathi and Ghunghat being some of his works. Years later, he returned as a selector and coach for the Pakistan cricket team and was influential in ‘white-washing’ England in the UAE in 2012, the same opposition he made his debut against in 1978.
In Saathi (1991), he was seen lip-syncing to songs rendered by famous Muhammad Rafi clones, Anwar and Vipin Sachdev.
Middle Order
Sandeep Patil & Syed Kirmani
The victory of the 1983 Cricket World Cup popularised the sport in India. Star batsman Sandeep Patil and wicket-keeper Syed Kirmani were signed for a film Kabhi Ajnabi Thay after the 83 win. The movie was released in 1985, where Sandeep was the good guy and Kirmani played the bad one. Kirmani’s shaved head added a menacing look to his personality. Although Sandeep played himself, he disco danced, lip synced to songs, played instruments and wooed ladies in an overall forgettable film.
Sandeep played his last Test during the post-production of the film and was a former Test cricketer by the time the film hit the screens.
Vinod Kambli & Ajay Jadeja
The next actor/batsmen pair on our list is Vinod Kambli, a bald character much like Kirmani, and the charming Ajay Jadeja. Kambli, a left-handed batsman, rose to fame after he put on a world-record unbroken 664-run partnership in a school match with Sachin Tendulkar. In his short Test career, Kambli managed to score four hundreds, but still has the highest average for an Indian player with over 1,000 Test runs.
After retiring early from the game, he became a commentator and, later, a model. Acting was his next stop as he was seen working with Sanjay Dutt and Sunil Shetty in Hindi film Annarth (2002). In 2009, he played himself in Pal Pal Dil Ke Ssaat, a film where his former teammate Jadeja was playing the role of a certain Ajay Kapoor.
A regular member of the Indian team for nearly a decade, Jadeja was an explosive batsman with an attractive personality and a captivating smile. Famous for giving expert analysis in India and Pakistan, he is still remembered for thrashing Pakistani pacers in death overs during the quarter-final of the World Cup 1996. Jadeja was banned for five years by the Board of Cricket Control India for involvement in match-fixing, giving him ample time to act in a film called Khel (2002), featuring Sunil Shetty, Sunny Deol and Celina Jaitley.
Jadeja returned to the cricket field after the ban was overturned by the Delhi High Court in 2003, leaving behind a not-so-promising acting career.
Celina was seen getting close to Jadeja in the song ‘Chori Chori’.
Spin Duo
Saleem Durani & Harbhajan Singh
Long before Kambli or even Jadeja were born, India had a tall, dark and handsome cricketer by the name of Salim Durani. Son of famous coach Aziz Durani and the mentor of the Muhammad brothers in Karachi, Saleem was one of the most colourful cricketers of his time. He was an attractive player, who used to bowl slow left-arm orthodox and being a clean striker, hit sixes on demand. Born in Afghanistan, he settled in India and was influential in initial Test victories abroad for India.
A crowd puller, he represented India in 29 Tests between 1960 and 1973. After retiring from the game, he acted as a lead in BR Ishara’s Charitra (1973), a film that also saw the debut of the gorgeous Parveen Babi. In the all-time XI, Saleem can ideally be placed with the mercurial Harbhajan Singh, Bhajji to many, to form a formidable spin-duo.
Married to an actor, Harbhajan was bound to end up in Bollywood. However, Bhajji’s short temper and violent streak makes him the young angry man of the team. With a career of over 10 years, Bhajji had over 700 international wickets and a couple of hundreds. He may be the first cricketer in the world who has been a film actor as well as a member of parliament. He has worked in Hindi, Tamil and Punjabi films; sometimes as a lead, sometimes as himself.
The Pacers
Wasim Akram & Brett Lee
Who would have the guts to face a fast bowling attack comprising Wasim Akram and Brett Lee? With a vast experience of acting in commercials, Akram had also been to dance shows and hosted cricket shows. Old-timers can recall a young Akram in a Safety Milk ad in the late 80s, where he was seen taking wickets and hitting sixes.
He was the first bowler in limited overs international to cross the 500-wicket mark and also had four hat-tricks to his name, two each in ODIs and Tests.
Australian pacer Brett Lee used to compete for top speed with the Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar. Lee, a veteran of over 200 ODIs and 76 Tests, has actually worked in an Indian-Australian production, UNIndian in 2015.
Lee played the role of Will, a man who begins an affair with an Indian woman named Meera.
Salil Ankola
Do you remember another cricketer who debuted alongside Waqar Younis and Sachin Tendulkar in the famous Karachi Test of 1989? Salil Ankola, the all-rounder from India who made it big as a model. After retiring from the game, Ankola found his way to acting via modelling. Famous for the soap operas Ssshhh…Koi Hai and Kora Kaghaz, he is remembered for appearing in the video of Adnan Sami Khan’s song ‘Kabhi To Nazar Milao’.
Ankola also acted in a handful of films between 2000 and 2003 — Kurukshetra (2000), Pitaah (2002) and Chura Lia Hai Tumne (2003).
The Reserves
S Sreesanth
For the reserves, there is fast-bowling all-rounder S Sreesanth, who has been quite active in films. The man who took Misbah-ul-Haq’s crucial catch in the final of the inaugural T20 World Cup, Sreesanth has worked in Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam films alongside Hindi productions.
Part of multiple World Cup winning Indian teams, Sreesanth was known for his antics on the cricketing field.
Irfan Pathan
Left-arm pacer Irfan Pathan, turned to acting after retiring from the game. He made his debut in Tamil thriller Cobra, which was praised by critics.
Fawad Alam
Dependable left-handed Pakistani batsman Fawad Alam can also be utilised in the team, as he made his debut in a web series.
The Manager
C Audrey Smith
Who could be the manager of the team other than C Audrey Smith, the lanky English Test cricketer who acted on stage and films long before even Sunil Gavaskar was born.
Smith organised a cricket team of British actors in Hollywood for the love of the sport after becoming an actor. A bowler who had a curved run-up, he played a solitary test in 1889, captaining the side against South Africa. After retiring, he became active in theatre and films and in 1932, founded the Hollywood Cricket Club, which had a pitch with imported grass from England.
Smith attracted fellow expatriates such as David Niven, Laurence Olivier and Leslie Howard to introduce Americans to cricket. He was known for his dual roles in the play Prisoner of Zenda, which he played on stage in London in 1895 as well as its film version 41 years later. During his illustrious career, he acted alongside Elizabeth Taylor, Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Laurence Olivier and Gary Cooper.
This 15-men team could take on any side, any day. It could easily beat any powerful cricketing side, as its players know how to perform in front of the camera, emotionally and physically.