Top 3 cricketers who started as bowlers but became batting superstars

In the rich history of cricket, there have been a few players who started their careers in a different role but went on to excel in something else as their careers progressed. International cricket has witnessed a few individuals who started as bowlers but left everyone awestruck with their batting talent later on.

Due to changing team requirements or the evolution of their own skill sets, these players remarkably changed their career trajectory and earned plaudits for their batting displays. Here are three famous cricketers who began as bowlers but eventually earned recognition primarily for their batting exploits:

1. Steve Smith (Australia)

Steve Smith burst onto the scene in 2010 as a wrist-spinner, with people calling him the successor of the legendary Shane Warne. Smith could also bat decently but not well enough to make it to the Australian top order. However, his career took a remarkable turnaround in 2013 after scoring his maiden hundred in the Ashes at the Oval.

He quickly rose through the ranks with his remarkable performances and is today counted amongst the greatest batters to have ever played the game. Today, Smith has over 10,000 runs in Tests, 5,800 runs in ODIs and over 1,000 runs in T20Is as well.

2. Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka)

Sanath Jayasuriya entered Sri Lanka's national side in 1989 primarily as a left-arm orthodox spinner who could contribute useful runs lower down the order. While his bowling remained an important asset throughout his career, it was his explosive batting that completely transformed his reputation.

Jayasuriya revolutionised one-day cricket during the 1996 World Cup with his belligerent strokeplay in the opening overs. His aggressive approach inspired a new era of power-hitting and changed how teams approached ODI batting.

He went on to score a whopping 13,430 ODI runs and over 6,973 Test runs, while also claiming more than 400 international wickets. Despite being among Sri Lanka's greatest all-rounders, Jayasuriya is remembered for his fearless batting at the top of the order.

3. Shoaib Malik (Pakistan)

Shoaib Malik's international journey also began with his off-spin bowling. Debuting for Pakistan in 1999, he was initially selected as a bowling all-rounder capable of taking wickets in the middle overs. However, he showed remarkable improvements in his batting and moved up the order.

In a career spanning more than two decades, Malik evolved into one of Pakistan's most dependable middle-order batters, particularly in ODIs and T20Is. While he continued to chip in with his off-spin, he became an integral part of Pakistan’s batting line-up in the latter half of his career. Malik scored 1898 runs in Tests, 7534 runs in ODIs, and 2435 runs in T20Is during his career.