Allan Lamb - England - Batsman

Allan Lamb was born to British parents in South Africa and started his early cricketing career there, making his first class debut at 18 for Western Province as a top order batsman in 1973. But he soon found out that he had no career in South Africa, as the country was banned from international cricket due to the Apartheid policy. He made a move to England and started county cricket there, signing up for Northamptonshire as an overseas player in 1978. He remained a permanent fixture for the next 17 years, and made his international debut for England in 1982.

He had a sturdy technique and was known for his ability to play top quality fast bowling, which was understandable as he grew up on the fast tracks in South Africa. Out of his 14 Test tons, 6 came against the West Indies, a team packed with fierce fast bowlers. Lamb was also a member of 2 Ashes winning England sides (in 1985 and 1986-87) and even captained England in 3 Tests, although unsuccessfully. He also had decent success in the ODI format, playing over 100 matches and averaging just under 40. His most famous knock came in a Benson and Hedges World Series match against Australia in 1987, where he smashed 18 runs in 5 balls off Bruce Reid to take England to a thrilling last over victory.

After retirement in 1992, Lamb published his autobiography \"Silence of the Lamb\" and later joined the media as a cricket expert.

By Karthik Lakshmanan