Len Pascoe - Australia - Batsman

Born in Western Australia and bred in New South Wales, Len Pascoe was a ferocious fast bowler who had his origin from Yugoslavia. He was not only aggressive in intent but also clocked extremely high speeds (90 kph on an average) which was only done by Jeff Thomson at that point. Coincidentally, the two were close friends right from their school days and it blossomed into an eternal bonding. Pascoe's exceptional start to his First-class career saw him making an international debut within three years across both formats for Australia. His ability to intimidate and then trap batsmen was a priceless skill. Pascoe had it in him to be a long-term servant of Australian cricket but the World Series tempted him (as it did with several promising Aussie cricketers).

During the WSC, Pascoe's command over fast bowling was there for all to see as he relished combats with some of the big names at the time. Although he picked up just a single five-wicket haul, Pascoe was a consistent wicket-taker who scalped batsmen at a frenetic strike-rate. Even after his return from the WSC, he continued to put in telling contributions for Australia but a knee injury started to cripple him gradually. He did undergo several rehabs but after a point, Pascoe understood that his body would never be the same again. After retirement, he did involve himself in coaching across New South Wales and also started up Leo Pascoe Sports Entertainment. One of his disappointing moments with the Australian team was the racial banter he had to receive from his teammates, especially the Chappell brothers due to his ethnic roots.

By Hariprasad Sadanandan