Top Famous Cricket Players from Argentina: A Comprehensive List
Argentina may not be the first country that comes to mind when you think of cricket, but it has produced some incredible talent in the sport. In this article, we will take a closer look at the best Argentinian cricket players of all time.
Pablo Ryan and Martin Siri, both incredibly talented cricket players, are just a few of the famous Argentinian cricket players to make our list. Keep reading to learn more about the others.
1. Agustin Casime
Agustin Casime, born on July 12, 1985, is an Argentine cricketer who has played for the national side at the List A level. Casino, then just 15 years old, competed for Argentina A in the 2000 South American Championship. In the following several years, he participated on multiple occasions for Argentina Under-19s and Argentina A. On November 24, 2007, Casime made his List A debut for the full national side in an 18-run defeat against Oman as part of the 2007 ICC World Cricket League Division Two competition.
2. Alejandro Ferguson
Alejandro “Alec” Ferguson, a right-handed batsman and wicketkeeper who was born on July 19, 1978, has represented Argentina since 1994. He made his debut as a fifteen-year-old lower-middle order batsman, though he averaged merely five with the bat throughout the tournament, as Argentina finished third in their Plate Group. Ferguson became the Division Two Wicket-keeper of the tournament in February 2006, following his figures of five catches and one stumping in four matches, which made him the most successful Argentine fielder of the tournament.
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3. Alexander Bell
An English cricket player named Alexander Patrick Bell was born in Argentina. Bell represented Northamptonshire in the 1934 County Championship in three first-class matches against Worcestershire, Middlesex, and Glamorgan.
4. Arnold Jacobs
Arnold Leslie Jacobs played international cricket for Argentina in non-first-class matches against Brazil and Chile in the 1920s and toured England with the 1932 South American team when he appeared in two first-class games. Jacobs was a right-handed wicketkeeper and batter in the lower order.
5. Esteban Alfredo “Billy” MacDermott: An Argentine Cricketer
Esteban Alfredo “Billy” MacDermott is a prominent Argentine cricketer who played for the national team from 1997 to 2014. He is known for his skills as a lower-order batsman and an off-spin bowler.
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Early Career and Achievements
In 2004, MacDermott played in America’s Cup held in Bermuda, where he played every game of the tournament. Two years later, he captained the Argentine cricket team in America’s Division Two competition, which they won, playing four games and earning the award for the best fielder of the tournament. He went on to captain the team again in Division One of the same competition, playing three of Argentina’s four games.
In 2007, MacDermott led the Argentina team in the ICC World Cricket League Division Three tournament held in Darwin, Australia. Argentina made it to the final, securing promotion to the ICC World Cricket League Division Two, but lost to Uganda. MacDermott was named the Player of the Tournament. He also played in the 2013 ICC World Cricket League Division Six tournament.
Personal Life and Legacy
Billy MacDermott was born on November 2, 1981, and is currently 41 years old. He has left an indelible mark on the Argentine cricket scene, serving as a role model and inspiration to young players in the country.
6. Clement Gibson: A Notable Cricketer from Argentina
Clement Herbert Gibson was a famous Argentine cricketer born on August 23, 1900. He was the second son of Sir Herbert Gibson, 1st Baronet, of Linconia and Faccombe.
Early Career and Achievements
In 1918, during the First World War, when there were no first-class cricketers to choose from, Wisden named Gibson, a fast-medium swing bowler from Eton College, as one of its Cricketers of the Year, along with four other “public school bowlers.” He was captain of cricket at Eton in both 1918 and 1919. After Eton, Gibson went to Clare College, Cambridge, where he had two successful seasons playing for Cambridge University.
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In 1921, Gibson was picked by the former England captain Archie MacLaren as a member of his amateur eleven that defeated the all-conquering Australian cricket team led by Warwick Armstrong, which had won eight successive Test matches against England. In the second innings, Gibson took six Australian wickets for 64 runs.
Later Life and Legacy
After Cambridge, Gibson toured Australia and New Zealand on an unofficial Marylebone Cricket Club tour led by MacLaren. In 1932, he captained the South American touring team that played six first-class matches in England. He also competed for Argentina in games against visiting teams.
Gibson played occasional games for Sussex until 1926, and his last first-class appearance was for the M.C.C. in 1939. He died in Buenos Aires on December 31, 1976, at the age of 75.
7. Cyril Ayling: A Bowling All-Rounder
Cyril Edgar Ayling was a cricketer who played for Argentina and was part of the South American cricket team that toured England in 1932. In three first-class matches in 1937–1938 against Sir Theodore Brinckman’s XI, Ayling represented Argentina. He was born in Buenos Aires in October 1910 and passed away in November 1993.
Ayling was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast-medium bowler. On the tour of England in 1932, he took 19 wickets in first-class games, with a best of five for 48. At Nottingham, he and his brother Dennet Ayling bowled Sir Julien Cahn’s squad to defeat by the South American team. He struck an unbeaten 95 and grabbed five for 72 against MCC at Lord’s outside of first-class matches.
Against Brinckman’s XI in 1937-38, Ayling played alongside Dennet and Cecil Ayling. His best bowling, four for 95, also came in this match.
8. Dennet Ayling: A Potentially Great Argentine Cricketer
Dennet Ernest Ayling was born in Buenos Aires in June 1906 and passed away in December 1987 in Los Cocos, Cordoba, Argentina. He played first-class cricket for the Argentina cricket team in international matches and toured England as a member of the 1932 South American team, which played several first-class cricket matches.
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As a right-handed middle-order batsman and a right-arm off-break bowler, Ayling’s figures in the limited number of first-class matches that he played suggest that he was potentially one of the best cricketers produced by Argentina. On the South American tour of England in 1932, he scored 342 runs in the six first-class matches at an average of 42 and took 33 wickets at just over 16 runs each.
His best batting performance was an unbeaten 86 in the match against Sir Julien Cahn’s XI, and in the match against Oxford University, he took 10 wickets for 87 in the two Oxford innings. In Argentina, he played domestic cricket to a high standard for 20 years. His brothers Cyril, Cecil, and Eric also played for Argentina.
9. Diego Lord
Diego Lord was born on September 26, 1977, in Buenos Aires. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler who has played for Lomas Athletic Club. Lord made his ICC Trophy debut in 1997, where he played five matches and scored just one run in all the games combined, making him one of the lowest-scoring Argentine batsmen in the competition.
More than any other Argentine batter who played more than one game in the championship, he played four more matches during the competition but only managed to score one run in all of the games combined.
He played in the 2001 competition and appeared in the 2004 Americas Championship. Lord’s most recent competition was the 2006 ICC World Cricket League Americas Championship, where he participated in all four of Argentina’s Division Two-winning games. He recorded 3 for 26 from 10 overs in the 2008 Americas Championship match against Suriname.
10. Donald Forrester:
On August 11, 1969, Donald Forrester was born in Buenos Aires. He has represented Argentina since 1990 as a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-pace bowler. Forrester made his ICC Trophy debut in 1990, playing six games as an upper-middle-order batsman. He then returned to the championship with the same Argentine squad in 1994, 1997, and 2001.
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He played in the 2004 Americas Championship, scoring a single half-century. Forrester has played in the league for more than 15 years as an upper-middle-order batsman. Donald Forrester, Forrester’s father, played first-class cricket for Argentina in the 1937–1938 season before returning to the squad over two decades later. Between 1962 and 1985, Frank Forrester, Donald’s brother, competed on seventeen occasions for the South of Argentina.
11. Estaban Nino
Estaban Nino was born on May 5, 1986, in Buenos Aires. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler who made his debut cricket match between the North and South of Argentina in 2002, representing the North along with future first-class team-mates Alejandro Ferguson and Gaston Arizaga. The following year, Nino represented the youth national team in four games in the Americas Under-19 Championship, and again in the same competition in 2005.
In Division Two of the ICC World Cricket League in 2006, Nino made his debut for the senior Argentina side, competing against Panama, Suriname, and the Bahamas. Nino continued to bowl at a high level, taking six wickets during the competition.
Even though Argentina lost their opening match, a last-ball match against an Italian team that included former Lancashire all-rounder Joe Scuderi, they were promoted at the end of the season into Division Two. In contrast, the team’s 2007–08 season saw them place last in the standings. At the very beginning of his career, Nino and Esteban MacDermott have been in the Argentine talent.
12. Gaston Arizaga – A Cricket Veteran
Gaston Arizaga is a seasoned cricketer who has played for the Argentine team since the 1996/97 season. Arizaga is a right-handed batsman and leg-break bowler who made his debut for the team during the 1996/97 ICC Trophy. He has played in numerous tournaments over the years, including the 2004 Americas Championship and the inaugural 2006 season of the World Cricket League. Arizaga has been an opener for Argentina, and he even scored a half-century against Israel in the 2001 ICC Trophy.
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13. Harold Miles – The Army Officer Turned Cricketer
Harold Philip Miles was an English cricketer who was born in Argentina. He was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm off-break. He moved to England at some point in his early life and was educated at Shrewsbury School, where he represented the school cricket team. Miles also served as a British Army officer before pursuing his cricket career. He married Miss Ada Margaret Paton in 1929.
14. Pedro Luis Bruno
Pedro Luis Bruno, born on May 25, 1988, is a 34-year-old Argentine cricketer. Despite some initial struggles, Pedro made his debut in List A cricket against Namibia in the 2007 ICC World Cricket League Division Two. While he didn’t have much success in these first few games, Pedro’s determination and hard work have paid off in recent years. He’s become an integral part of the Argentine cricket team, known for his precise batting and strong fielding skills.
15. Tomas Francis
Tomas Francis is another Argentinian cricket player to keep an eye on. At 46 years old, Tomas has been playing cricket for over two decades. He’s gained a reputation for his excellent bowling technique and ability to read the game. Tomas has played for both local and national teams, showcasing his skills on the international stage.
