John Traicos

Who is John Traicos?

Athanasios John Traicos is a former cricketer who represented South Africa and Zimbabwe at international level. He was primarily an off spin bowler, and is one of a small number of cricketers to have played at the highest level for more than one country.

Traicos was born in Zagazig, Egypt in 1947 where his father Tryphon worked in the family business. He is of Greek descent, his father having been born in Lemnos, Greece and his maternal grandmother in Kalymnos, also in Greece. In September 1948 the family moved to what was then Fort Victoria in Southern Rhodesia. As a child he was known as "Naso", a contraction of his name "Athanasios", but when he started university he adopted the name "John".

Traicos grew up in Rhodesia and played for that country, which at the time was regarded as a "province" within the South African domestic cricket setup. While a student at the University of Natal he benefited from being coached by Trevor Goddard making his first-class debut on 24 June 1967 when he represented South African Universities against Cambridge University, taking 5–54 in the first innings.