We have seen a lot of players who have taken inspiration from their fathers, mothers, or any other family member to become a sports personality playing the same sport or some other sport.
As far as cricket is concerned, over the years, we have seen quite a few families where at least a couple of the generations have been in the sports industry.
But how often have we seen brothers playing in the same format in the same game? Out of 1000 or more players who have played cricket since its inception, there have been brothers who have played cricket but the numbers shrink massively when we jot down brothers who have played cricket, the same format, and also in the same match together.
So that's our topic for today. Let's dive deep to get to know who those pairs have been.
1) Steve Waugh and Mark Waugh
The Australian duo were the first twins to feature in an international match together. Usually, in such cases, we see one of the brothers shining like a star, while the other sibling isn't capable of catching up.
However, Steve Waugh and Mark Waugh were extraordinary batsmen. There have been mixed opinions in the fact that Mark was a better batsman but no one doubts the fact that Steve Waugh was a better skipper.
Despite that, Steve Waugh is the one with more runs, close to 18,500, while Mark Waugh wasn't far behind with over 16,500 international runs.
Steve Waugh was one of the best skippers Australia witnessed and he also led Australia to the 1999 World Cup. The Waugh brothers also hold the record for the most number of matches played together by siblings in Tests and ODIs.
2) Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan
The combination of one brother being a left-handed player, while the other being a right-handed player aided India on multiple occasions.
The duo from Baroda were at the top of their game for several years. Both players being more or less an all-rounder, longevity-wise, it was Irfan Pathan who stayed at his best for more time. Irfan could swing the ball well, while Yusuf was just a part-time spinner.
Irfan Pathan was decent enough with the bat too and added runs on multiple occasions but it's the elder brother Yusuf, who dominated in the batting department. He was a power hitter and the duo were also a part of the first-ever T20 international tournament in South Africa, the T20 World Cup in 2007 that India won.
Both of them had decent spells in the Indian national team, but the only difference being that Yusuf Pathan was also a part of the Indian squad that clinched the ICC World Cup in 2011. An important reason being that Yusuf Pathan had shown massive improvement not only in his batting but also in his bowling.
3) Brendon McCullum and Nathan McCullum
The Kiwi duo were a huge part of New Zealand for more than 6-7 years. They featured in a lot of games together. Brendon McCullum was known as an explosive and dynamic batsman who wasn't scared of expressing his offensive intent.
Yet again, the younger brother, Brendon had a more successful career but the elder brother, Nathan was more into the bowling department of the game. Nathan McCullum was a bowling all-rounder who bowled right-arm off break, while Brendon turned into a wicket-keeper when he took the captaincy role under himself.
Brendon led the New Zealand side to the 2015 final, while Nathan McCullum was also beside him in the final. Brendon McCullum was more successful only because he achieved so many feats in his career.
From breaking Sir Vivian Richards' record for the fastest test century to becoming the first New Zealand batsman to score a triple century in Test Cricket, he also became the first batsman to score two tons in T20Is.
McCullum was a unique batsman whereas Nathan was calmer.
4) Michael Hussey and David Hussey
While we mentioned how it was the younger brothers who always came on top when compared with their siblings, we have a duo who were very successful together but it was the older brother who soared to new heights, breaking numerous records, and also earning the nickname of "Mr. Cricket".
Michael or Mike Hussey was a left-handed batsman, while David Hussey was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm off-break bowler.
The duo ended their international career in 2013 but it was Michael Hussey who embarked on his journey as a cricketer four years earlier than David.
David Hussey did not play test cricket for Australia, while Michael was an instrumental member of the Australian squad as he scored over 6,200 runs in tests for Australia.
5) Kamran Akmal,Umar Akmal and Adnan Akmal
Another brother-duo that was very influential for their national side, Kamran Akmal represented Pakistan before his younger sibling Umar.
Kamran Akmal was a wicket-keeper batsman and scored over 6,000 runs for Pakistan across all formats. Umar Akmal played longer than his brother did but he lacked the consistency his brother possessed.
Many regard Umar Akmal as the better hitter of the ball but Kamran Akmal was more reliable and often proved himself more than his younger brother could.
Another common link between the duo was that both were banned for over a few months due to involvement in spot-fixing and corruption.
Interestingly, Adnan Akmal, the youngest brother of the Akmals was also part of the Pakistan team, representing them in 21 Tests and 5 ODIs. The bloodline does not stop there as the current Pakistan skipper- Babar Azam happens to be the cousin of the Akmal brothers. Who among the Akmal brothers is your favorite?
6) Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya
Another duo that has made its mark in international cricket, Hardik and Krunal earned their reputation after their successful performances with their IPL franchise Mumbai Indians.
The duo are renowned for their explosive batting, reliable fielding, and both can also do the job with the ball. Hardik Pandya is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler, while Krunal, the elder brother, is a left-handed batsman and a left-arm orthodox spinner.
Both are filled with immense power and both are very expressive. The duo never fails to entertain and at the same time, their performances speak for themselves.
Although Hardik made his debut for India before his older brother, Krunal also made his international debut two years later. While Hardik has also made his test debut, Krunal hasn't been a part of India's Test squad.
Both are T20 specialists and both have often performed in the most clutch moments of the game, helping their teams to go over the line.
7) Tom Curran and Sam Curran
The English duo have also been in discussions time and time again, and once again, it's the younger brother who has proven to be more effective in their careers till now.
While Tom Curran debuted for England in 2017, Sam Curran made his debut a year later, but looking at how things stand, Sam Curran's place in the England squad is more concrete than his elder brother.
Both brothers are all-rounders, with Sam being a left-handed batsman who may seem very fragile but likes to thrash bowlers towards the death, while he is also more than capable of saving runs with the ball in the death overs.
Sam Curran is a left-arm medium-fast bowler, while Tom is a right-handed batsman and a fast-medium bowler. However, Sam Curran is known to be equally reliable with the bat and ball, Tom Curran is more of a dominant bowler and a batsman who can hit but certainly not as good as his younger brother.
Both players are young and have a lot of time in their international careers, you never know, we may see a turnaround very soon.
8) Morne Morkel and Albie Morkel
Our list would be incomplete without mentioning this Proteas duo. Morne was a 6ft 5i tall fast right-handed bowler who dominated the batsmen for most of his career. His younger brother Albie Morkel was more of an all-rounder and he was also a left-handed batsman and a right-arm but a medium-fast bowler.
Morne usually dominated the bowling department, while Albie had the abilities to do both, bowl, and hit the ball hard. However, Albie Morkel's place in the squad was not concrete but his elder brother, Morne was only out of the squad due to injuries.
As things stand, Albie Morkel played his last competitive cup game in 2018, while Morne Morkel represented the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League 2020-21.
Another duo that represented India is Mohinder Amarnath and Surinder Amarnath but very few know about the latter. While both were medium-paced bowlers, Mohinder Amarnath was a right-handed batsman, while Surinder batsman was left-handed.
Surinder Amarnath only had a two-year career, while Mohinder, his younger brother, scored over 6,000 runs and played for India for more than a decade.
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