Cricket's Top 5 Stars and Their Footballing Equivalent

While many cricketers have crossed the divide to playing football and vice versa, some of cricket's biggest stars have got a bit in common with their footballing counterparts. We're not talking in terms of mega money in sponsorship; although, that does count.

But if cricket's biggest stars were footballers, who would they be?

Kevin Pietersen and Cristiano Ronaldo

Both players are outstandingly talented. Both players have done things for their teams other players only ever dream of. Both players are also quite disliked.

Ronaldo is mostly disliked for his behaviour on the football pitch. Pietersen is disliked for his behaviour off the cricket ground. Both players are disliked even by supporters of their own team, but both also have fans who would go to the ends of the earth to defend them.

Both could also probably do their jobs blindfolded.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni and David Beckham

If David Beckham is Hollywood, MSD is Bollywood. Both are super players in their own right, but both are enormously popular off the field, too. While Beckham is married to a former pop star, Dhoni's wife is perhaps a little bit less famous.

Nonetheless, both are adored by fans, and while Dhoni might not land any underwear modelling contracts any time soon, he's still laughing all the way to the bank with all his other endorsements.

Dale Steyn and Jens Lehmann

As a Chelsea fan, Dale Steyn might not appreciate being compared to one of Arsenal's former players. But, just like Lehmann, Steyn is currently a crucial part of South Africa's Invincibles team.  

Both players played hard but also liked to joke around when the time was right. Both are record breakers, but Steyn is yet to have an unorthodox approach cost his country a major trophy.

Chris Gayle and Mario Balotelli

Freakishly talented with a natural ability that many would give their kidneys for, both players prefer to see the light side of life.

Of course, both of them work hard to stay fit and at the top of their game, but Gayle has admitted to not really liking to run all that much, according to ESPN cricket writer Peter Della Penna. And as for Balotelli, why train like everybody else when you could be having a nice lie-down?

David Warner and Nicklas Bendtner

Warner might not take his cricket whites off to reveal an unapproved sponsor on the pitch, but he might take them off after hitting the bottle.

Just like Bendter quite likes a night on the town, Warner does, too. Bendtner's never thrown a punch, though, not that we've heard of anyway.

Arsenal seemingly can't get rid of the Dane. Australia, meanwhile have gotten rid of Warner...for now.