The International Cricket Council is the main authority in global cricket. It decides the nations with the best cricket infrastructure and accordingly gives them memberships. Based on their membership, it is decided which formats of the sport they are eligible to play. Currently, 12 nations have a full-time membership, which means that only these countries can contest test matches recognized by the council.
A player is eligible to represent only one nation at a given point of time as per the norms of the International Cricket Council. A player can however change his or her affiliation to another nation provided they satisfy a certain criteria.
Super cricketers is the term used for a player who has represented two countries in their career. The super cricketer must have played representative cricket for the country he or she is not a national of for four preceding years, during which he or she has not played for any other member nation.
Another eligibility factor is that the player must have resided in the member nation he or she wishes to be a member of for six months in those four preceding years. This makes them a national of the country as per the governing bodies of cricket.
The above two laws are applicable for those who wish to represent a full member nation. For an associate member a different set of criteria exist. The player must have played at least 50% of the matches in the previous three years representing the associate member.
Apart from playing, the aspiring super cricketer is expected to contribute for at least three months in the preceding five years to uplift the coaching or playing standards of their nation. The International Super Cricket Committee also acts as a decision body that judges the impact that a player has had on the associate member they wish to represent to.
Kepler Wessels, Eoin Morgan, Dirk Nannes, Ed Joyce, Ifitikhar Ali Khan Pataudi are some notable examples of cricketers who have played for two nations.
