Henry Olonga - Zimbabwe - Bowler

History remembers Henry Olonga mostly for his famous tussle with the great Sachin Tendulkar during a tri-series in the early 2000s. The wiry Zimbabwean pacer had got the number of the batting maestro during the league stages of that tournament with Olonga at his aggressive best, both with the ball as well as with his verbals. Tendulkar had the last laugh though, spanking the pacer to all parts during the final which India won with ease. That episode pretty much summed up Olonga's career - thrilling and entertaining with never a dull moment.

Olonga also once got smashed by Zaheer Khan for four consecutive sixes in an ODI. These negative results aside, he was a man of immense potential. Rated as the fastest bowler in Zimbabwe during his days, Olonga was also the first black cricketer to play for the country. He had so much pace but the accuracy wasn't that high, which resulted in mixed results as far as his career was concerned. Having made his way into the First-class circuit as a teenager, Olonga's international career didn't quite take off well, as he was called for chucking.

That incident forced him to remodel his action and work his way back into the top. And that he did with a lot of gumption, which was so typical of his never-say-die persona. When on song, at his pace, Olonga could cause destruction, as evident from his career-best ODI figures of 6/19 against England in Cape Town during the 2000 series. He also had five-wicket hauls in Tests against India and Pakistan, two batting powerhouses during his times. The performance against the latter even resulted in a historic overseas Test win for Zimbabwe.

Much like his persona on the field, Olonga was a tough cookie off it as well. Known for his brave opinions and stands, the pacer's decision to wear black arm bands during the 2003 World Cup, as a reaction to the political disaster in Zimbabwe, effectively ended his career. The turmoil at that time also forced Olonga to shift base, given the unsafe nature at home. He moved to England where he settled down as a media man cum commentator.

Written by Hariprasad Sadanandan