Former England fast bowler Liam Plunkett has taken everyone by surprise with a bold new move. The 2019 World Cup winner has stepped onto a professional baseball field in the United States.
The 41-year-old Plunkett is proving that it is never too late to try something new. After his successful career, the former England star has now made his professional baseball debut in the United States.
Liam Plunkett shocks fans with stunning career switch at 41
Liam Plunkett made his baseball debut for the Oakland Ballers in a Pioneer Baseball League match against the Yuba-Sutter Freebirds on Friday (June 26) night. It was a special moment for the former England pacer as he was preparing for this challenge since moving to the US.
He threw five pitches during the game and made an instant impact by striking out Josh Duarte. The fans at Raimondi Park enjoyed watching the former England fast bowler begin a fresh journey.
Even though Plunkett had a memorable debut, the Oakland Ballers suffered an 18-11 defeat against the Yuba-Sutter Freebirds in the Pioneer Baseball League match.
What Liam Plunkett said on the special occassion?
Liam Plunkett was quoted as saying by BBC Sport: “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 has remained involved in the game while working on developing his baseball skills since relocating to the United States around five years ago. During practice before the match, Plunkett also tried batting, but he later decided that pitching suited him better and chose to focus on that role.
The Englishman added. “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!”
Liam Plunkett’s bold baseball move won’t end his cricket career
Well, Plunkett joined the Oakland Ballers under a special Pioneer Baseball League rule that allows teams to sign one well-known sportsperson outside the normal player eligibility rules. With this, the former star would not also have to make a full-time switch from cricket to baseball.
The former England fast bowler is also part of the San Francisco Unicorns squad in Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026. However, he is yet to play a match for the franchise this season. Plunkett played 13 Tests, 89 ODIs, and 22 T20s for England, taking 201 wickets in international cricket.
Currently, England cricket team is hosting New Zealand cricket team in the third and final Test at the Trent Bridge. The Test series is currently tied at 1-1 and the hosts have been playing brilliantly after New Zealand managed 438 runs in the first innings. England are currently trailing by 215 runs. Blair Tickner has been ruled out of ENG vs NZ 3rd Test; New Zealand names concussion substitute.