Top News

Former England fast bowler Liam Plunkett, who was part of the squad that clinched the 2019 World Cup, has recently stepped onto the baseball field for the first time, making his professional debut with the Oakland Ballers in the Pioneer Baseball League on Friday, June 26, at Raimondi Park in the USA. 

In front of a lively crowd of over 1,500 fans, the 41-year-old hurled five pitches against the Yuba-Sutter Freebirds, even managing to strike out Josh Duarte. Unfortunately, despite his efforts, Plunkett's team fell short, losing the game 18-11. 

Plunkett proudly shared that he is the first England cricketer to play for a professional baseball team. He takes great pride in having played two bat-and-ball sports at a professional level throughout his career. 

Read also: Not a good start for Shreyas Iyer as debutant Hollard dismissed captain for 3 off 7 in Belfast

It's interesting to note that Plunkett's opportunity with the Oakland Ballers came about through the league's marketing player exception rule, which allows teams to sidestep the usual selection criteria. Typically, this rule is used to bring in a Major League Baseball (MLB) veteran, but the Ballers decided to think outside the box and sign Plunkett, a cricketer instead. 

Liam Plunkett, currently a member of the San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket (MLC), hasn't stepped onto the field this season yet. However, he recently made waves by debuting in professional baseball with the Oakland Ballers. He joined the team thanks to the league's marketing player exception rule, which typically opens the door for MLB veterans but was creatively used to bring in the former England cricketer.

Plunkett is still widely celebrated for his crucial role in England's unforgettable 2019 ODI World Cup victory, where he took 3 wickets for 42 runs in the final against New Zealand, including the key wicket of captain Kane Williamson.