Plunkett played 13 Tests, 89 ODIs and 22 T20Is for England.
Liam Plunkett, the fast bowler who won the ICC World Cup in 2019 with the England team, has switched sports to pro Baseball, making his minor league debut for the Oakland Ballers in the United States of America (USA).
On Friday night on the west coast of the United States, the 41-year-old Plunkett played for the Oakland Ballers against the Yuba-Sutter Freebirds in the Pioneer Baseball League.
In front of 1,878 spectators at Raimondi Park, Plunkett made five pitches and made an instant impression by striking out Josh Duarte of the Freebirds, according to BBC Sport. He was unable to prevent the Ballers from losing 18–11, though.
Plunkett moved to the United States five years ago and currently plays in Major League Cricket (MLC).
“I’ve previously done the ceremonial first pitch for the Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins as part of being an MLC ambassador, but this is obviously a little bit more serious. I think I’m the first English cricketer to ever play a professional game of baseball. It’s obviously a few rungs below Major League Baseball, but it’s still pretty cool to say I have played as a professional in two bat-and-ball sports,” Plunkett was quoted by BBC Sport as saying.
Under the Pioneer Baseball League's marketing player exception, which permits teams to put one noteworthy non-prospect player onto their roster, Plunkett joined the Ballers. A full-time transition to baseball appears unlikely despite this appearance.
“The swing path when you bat is so different compared to cricket, especially when someone is pitching at 90mph. I’d have loved to hit a monster home run because that would have gone viral! But to play my first game and get a strikeout, I couldn’t ask for more,” Plunkett added.
Liam Plunkett had made his England debut in 2005 and played 13 Tests, 89 ODIs, and 22 T20Is, taking 41, 135, and 25 wickets respectively. He also scored one fifty each in Tests and ODIs.