Did You Know That 5 Cricketers Actually Changed Their Religion?

Cricketers who changed their religion

Commitment to a whole new religion is a life-changing decision. If we talk about it generally, it can be quite a struggle to convert. We see so many celebrities, and people adopting a new religion. But what is the reason behind this conversion?

Did you know that there are a few cricketers who changed their religion? Well, if you are a cricket lover, you sure will find this interesting!

Changing names has become quite a common practice these days. People convert from one religion to another and often end up getting a new name. This not only changes their name but also their identity for the rest of their lives.

In addition, there are so many religions these days that it is almost impossible to know about all of them. Cricket has a lot of popularity and following in Pakistan and India. So much so, that cricketers have always been household names in this particular part of the world.

Now let’s have a look at the five cricketers who changed their religion.

1. Mohammad Yousuf

mohammad yousuf

Source: Google

The former Pakistan batsman, Mohammad Yousuf was the first Christian batsman of Pakistan who changed his religion. Back in September 2005, he converted to Islam and changed his name from Yousuf Youhana to Mohammad Yousuf. Cricket fans also love keeping tabs on cricketer’s personal life as well as their stunning wives!

In fact, he even asked his wife to convert, who also ended up converting and changing her name from Tania to Fatima. After converting, he always kept a beard and sported with it. When asked, Yousuf said that he made the choice to convert after attending the preaching sessions of Tablighi Jamaat.

2. Tillakaratne Dilshan

Tillakaratne Dilshan

Source: Google

The former captain and opening batsman of Sri Lanka, Tillakaratne Dilshan was born to a father who belonged to the Islam following Malay group. There was hardly anything on the cricket field that he could not do.

His birth name was Taiwan Mohammad Dilshan. At the age of 16, his parents got separated. After the separation, he switched his religion to that of his mother i.e. Buddhism. Ever since then, his initials TM has stood for Tillakaratne Dilshan.

3. Wayne Parnell

Wayne Parnell

Source: Google

Another cricketer who converted to Islam is a South Africa’s bowler Wayne Parnell. According to the reports available, he had this really close friend Hashim Amla who belonged to the religion of Islam.

It is believed that his friend was the one who attracted him to the Islamic beliefs and hence made him convert. However, his team manager denies this. In July 2011, he converted to Islam and changed his name to Wayne Waleed Parnell.

4. Suraj Randiv

Suraj Randiv is a former all-rounder of Sri Lanka. He initially belonged to the religion of Islam and his former name was Mohammed Marsuk Suraj. However, due to some of his personal reasons, the cricketer adopted Buddhism and changed his name to Suraj Randiv.

5. Mahmudul Hasan

Mahmudul Hasan

Source: Google

Mahmudul Hasan, a 28-year-old Bangladesh cricketer is known to convert his religion from Islam to Hinduism. The cricketer was a part of the 2008 Under-19 World Cup squad.  He also played a Test match for Bangladesh with the name of Mahmudul Hasan. After changing his religion, he changed his name to Vikash Ranjan Das. Sadly, he never played for his country after converting his religion.

Read More: 12 Pakistani Cricketers At Their Debut And What They Look Like Now!


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