Top 3 Cricketers Who Changed Their Names Before Getting Successful

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“What’s there in a name?” – apparently a bunch of mysteries when it comes to cricket. Although changing names has become a common phenomenon in the modern era, doing so in the field of international cricket is still something that creates waves among the fans. The history of cricket as a sport has witnessed numerous players who stumbled upon the decision to change their name in the middle of their international cricket career due to various path-breaking reasons and circumstances. While some of the most prominent international cricketers have changed their names depending upon their astrological beliefs, a few have also changed their names in the middle of their international cricketing careers due to religious reasons as well.

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In this article we will take a look at the four five cricketers who deliberately chose to change their names in the middle of their international cricketing career.

Top 3 Cricketers Who Changed Their Names Before Getting Successful

• Bob Willis – England

Often hailed as one of the greatest bowlers of the English cricket squad who clearly dominated the opponent teams in the era between 1971-1984, Bob Willis changed his original name “Robert George Dylan Willis” under the influence of an American musician called “Bob Dylan”.

Bob Willis underwent a full-fledged legal procedure to change his name from “Robert Willis” to “Bob Willis”. In addition to being influenced by the American musician Bob Dylan, the English international cricketer also considered this major change to be “lucky” for him as his cricketing career witnessed an insane spike after he changed his name. With a total of 325 test wickets and 80 ODI wickets, Bob Willis’ legacy continues to resonate among the fans of the English cricket team.

• Mohammad Yousuf – Pakistan

Former skipper of the Pakistan cricket squad who elevated Pakistan’s stature across all the three major cricketing formats, including Test, ODI and T20I, Mohammad Yousuf was not born into an Islamic family. Although millions of people still follow and commemorate Mohammad Yousuf’s formidable legacy, not many of them are aware of the fact that Mohammad Yousuf changed his name and religion.

Mohammad Yousuf’s original name is “Yousuf Youhana” and he was originally born into a Christian family in Lahore, Pakistan. Yousuf Youhana took the decision to convert to Islam publicly in between his international cricket career in 2005 and changed his name to “Mohammad Yousuf”. You might also be surprised to know that, prior to his conversion to Islam, Yousuf was the fourth Christian player and fifth non-Muslim player to ever represent Pakistan’s cricket squad at an international level.

• Mansur Ali Khan – India

Former Indian cricketer and captain of the Indian cricket team at the younge age of 21, Mansur Ali Khan ‘Pataudi’, also popularly referred to as “Tiger Pataudi” by the fans of Indian cricket, has left behind a legacy that still stands firmly in the annals of Indian cricket. Mansur Ali Khan was honored with the C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001, which is considered as the highest honorary award given by BCCI to a former player, speaking volumes about his prominence and aura in the history of Indian cricket.

Soon after independence, the Indian government ceased all princely titles and, therefore, in 1972, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi had to drop his princely title “Pataudi” from his name. Nonetheless, with an enormous wealth worth an estimated INR 1600 Crores, Mansur Ali Khan continued to be one of the richest Indian cricketers as long as he played for the Indian cricket team.

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