Liam Plunkett, Growing the Game
Champion Cricketer Steps Up with Strike Out for the Ballers
by Roberto Santiago
WEST OAKLAND—You never know where the day may take you. Some days, you wake up expecting a normal workday and end up talking to an international cricket player and 2019 World Cup champion on the phone. Certainly not the predictable way to start a commute home. So it was on Thursday, when I happened upon a video on the Oakland Ballers’ Facebook page. (Yes, I am on Facebook. I’m 50. Don’t @ me.) In the video, Ballers Vice President of Communications and Fan Entertainment Casey Pratt notes that the Ballers have been looking for ways to cross promote Major League Cricket and baseball, a statement borne out by the Ballers’ visit to the Coliseum last year for the MLC game there. This year, the Ballers took things many steps further by signing former England star Liam Plunkett to a one day contract. As a rugby fan who has breathlessly followed every rugger who has tried to transition to the NFL, my interest was piqued. Is this a gag? Was it for real?
It was real. Ask Josh Duarte. More on that in a moment.
Plunkett made 628 appearances for England including playing an instrumental role in their 2019 World Cup win. He played professionally in England before joining the San Francisco Unicorns of Major League Cricket in 2023. The Unicorns, who play their home games at the Oakland Coliseum, were the 2024 league runners up. Plunkett has since moved to the broadcast booth but hasn’t lost his love of sport. “The opportunity came up the other day and I love baseball. I still love sports and the opportunity to test myself at something I’m not too good at excites me,” Plunkett said. He also sees an opportunity to grow his sport and introduce it to new fans. “The Ballers want to show the emerging sports in America,” Plunkett continued. “[Cricket] is the second biggest sport in the world…it’s a powerhouse. But in America, it’s not…If I’m in the starting roster and I do something cool, and people get excited about it, if I can bring 300 or 400 people who follow the Ballers out to the cricket stadium, then I’ve done my part in growing the sport.”
Spoiler: he did something cool.
In the B’s video, Plunkett said he’d been working hard behind the scenes and likely had transferrable skills from his sport. In terms of position, Plunkett was a bowler, something akin to a pitcher. However, in cricket the goal is to bounce the ball past the batter to hit the wickets behind him (while also trying to force him out via caught balls). The motion and intent is very different than in baseball. In another video posted by the team, Plunkett is shown shagging fly balls without a glove. So what was his preparation? “I’m here to take part however they want me to take part. If they want me in the outfield, if they want to take at bat or pitch, I’m happy to do so, if that fits in with what they want to do.” As for skills he brings, “Definitely the throwing. As a cricketer we always carried a baseball mitt around with us because that’s how you warmed up before the games. You’d have a teammate and you’d throw like they warm up in baseball. So we’d get fined if we didn’t have a baseball mitt.”
Though primarily a bowler, Plunkett spent considerable time in the outfield. He expects his athleticism will help in whatever role he finds himself. And how does he expect to fare at the plate, when given the chance? “My swing’s a hybrid between cricket, baseball and golf. Somewhere in there hopefully I put bat on the ball.” Plunkett admits his claim of behind the scenes work may have been a bit of exuberance. Hit the batting cage? No. Shag flys? Not really. As for a possible stint in the outfield, Plunkett would rather stick to his roots. “I find it easier to catch with my bare hands than with a mitt, to be honest with you. I did go out today and caught some with a mitt, then took it off and caught some fly balls with my hands, which was easy for me.”
How did he expect to be received by his teammates? “People are here to take this serious, right. They’re trying to build their careers. There’s people here who want to be seen and want to move up the ladder to the major leagues. So I’m not here to be disrespectful.” He also believed he may have had something to offer off the field in terms of the mental side of athletic performance. “I am bringing that World Cup mindset of playing against the best in the world, in front of big crowds. Maybe some of the baseball guys will want to talk about the mindset of playing at the highest level.”
For himself, Plunkett offered, “I’m excited to get the nerves of playing sport. I love that nerve of turning up and not knowing what’s going to come at me.”
When I turned up at the park, I also didn’t know what to expect. I had messaged Plunkett three hours before the game to ask if he would be with the team for batting practice. “I’m here now,” he replied. I rushed to Raimondi to try to get an idea of how Plunkett would be deployed. He didn’t shag flies or take part in infield drills signaling that he was unlikely to play in the field. I was able to corner manager Aaron Miles before batting practice. “Is there a plan for Plunkett today?”
“There is,” Miles replied.
“Is it something you can share?” I pressed.
Miles was pretty sure Plunkett would open the game on the mound but was also considering playing him in left field. In the end, it was a risk/benefit analysis that moved the Ballers’ skipper. “If you play him in left for an inning, it could potentially kill us. Having him face one batter limits the damage. What’s the worst that could happen? He gives up one run. No big deal.”
Plunkett participated in BP and was unimpressive compared to his session the day before when he hit at least one that smashed against the outfield wall. “He was late a lot early on,” said team president Yeshayah Goldfarb, the former MLB scout. “Once he figured out his timing, he had some playable power.”
The buzz in the stands pregame ranged from excited to nervous. Ballers fan Allyson Yuen is familiar with cricket and was stoked at the idea of Plunkett moonlighting for the B’s. Dawn Pieper was more tempered, but she relaxed when she learned he wasn’t signed for the season. No one knew what to expect when Plunkett took the mound, outside of getting a preview of his delivery when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch. “Super funky motion” one fan offered. Funky like a fox.
Despite his inexperience, Plunkett’s vision of himself as an elite athlete with transferable skills who might do something neat proved prescient. He struck out Freebirds’ leadoff man Josh Duarte, the only batter he faced, on a 2-2 pitch that can primarily be described as a curve ball. After seeing him perform, both Yuen and Piper were impressed. “I wanted him to face another batter, maybe get the whole inning,” said Piper. “It’s about what I expected,” added Yuen.
Asked whether he thought cricketers could make it The Show in the majors, or a baseballer could excel at cricket, Plunkett noted, “Here people play from t-ball and they’re techniques are different. They’re so smooth with the technique. In cricket we do throw but we don’t have to be so specific when we throw from the outfield whereas with baseball you don’t have much room for error.” He continued, “Maybe the best cricketer in the world a couple years of batting and batting and batting, maybe he could get to the point of playing in a game. It’s a different swing.”
What about someone like Bryce Harper playing cricket? “Going the other way, as a bowler, I’d throw to their leg side. Baseball players aren’t used to having to hit anything thrown at their legs. Also, the bowling is on the bounce, so it’s a different read.” For the length of our conversation, we both forgot about Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel, cricket players from India who played in the Pirates organization and were the subject of the Disney film, Million Dollar Arm. Patel played two seasons for the Pirates. Seeing Plunkett have success after a mere two days of preparation is a testament to his athleticism and a sign that the transition may not be as difficult as he predicted the day before.
The Ballers had hoped to get into a situation where they could get Plunkett and at-bat. After scoring six runs in the top of the first, the situation was perfect with two out and no one on base. But Plunkett had left the building, called back to his duties with Major League Cricket. As the game went nearly four hours, I message Plunkett to let him know he might have time to get back for a turn at the plate. Noting co-founder Paul Freedman’s remark about the rules—being able to play Plunkett up to twice a month—and the buzz from the crowd, it’s possible we might see that at bat one day.
Photos from Darrell Lavin Photography. Animation from Chris Drue. Video from Allyson Yuen.
Roberto Santiago is a third generation Berkeley boy currently raising the fourth generation. Roberto’s writing has appeared in Latina, Parents, and various online outlets. A lifelong baseball fan, Roberto worked briefly with the Boston Red Sox and once hit an RBI single off Spaceman Lee on a 2-2 changeup. It was his only at bat ever in a real baseball game. Find him on Instagram.
