Batting Career
Allan Donald was a pace bowler. Here is his contribution to the South African team as a batsman –
| Format | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 200s | 50s | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 72 | 94 | 33 | 652 | 37 | 10.69 | 1856 | 35.13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 66 | 0 |
| ODI | 164 | 40 | 18 | 95 | 13 | 4.32 | 279 | 34.05 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Bowling Career
Allan Donald was a famous bowler and his illustrious bowling career is displayed here–
| Format | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBm | Econ | Ave | SR | 5w | 10w |
| Test | 72 | 129 | 15519 | 7344 | 330 | 8/71 | 12/139 | 2.84 | 22.25 | 47.03 | 20 | 3 |
| ODI | 164 | 162 | 8561 | 5926 | 272 | 6/23 | 6/23 | 4.15 | 21.79 | 31.47 | 2 | 0 |
Have you ever heard of the White Lightning of cricket? You most probably have. You would not be here unless you heard of Alland Donald, one of the most successful and inspiring bowlers in the history of South African Cricket.
Speed, hostility, and aggression are a few characteristics making him stand out. Having played against the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Steve Waugh, and Micheal Atherton, Donald was remembered for many things.
One of many would be his runout in the 1999 World Cup semi-final. A match between Australia and South Africa became a tie, giving Australia a shot in the finals. This was the most infamous event in his career. But he shined as a bowler and still holds his place among the top bowlers in the world.
So, how was the cricket career of Alland Donald? Let’s find out in this article. This article is a complete description of the cricket career of Allan Donald.
Who Is Allan Donald?
In his early life, Donald was not sure which port he should choose – rugby or cricket. Since rugby is the number one sport in South Africa, Cricket was the second one. Allan Donald, in an interview, said that he used to play as a fullback and as a flyhalf. But, later, he thought that this sport was better for bigger people. So he switched to cricket.
Donald is also a fantastic human being. Sachin Tendulkar says –
“Allan Donald was known for his hostility, his aggression. Mind you, off the field he was a fabulous guy then also and we continue to be friends, and I value that friendship.”
Donald’s story is filled with multiple missed opportunities and misfortunes. Although getting into the Orange Free State team was easy for him in 1984, he could not proceed further due to his groin injury. He missed another opportunity later when he could not play in Nuffield Week. The next golden opportunity he missed was when he could not get into the school cricket team of South Africa.
Fun Fact: Donald is known for his aggressive, hostile bowling style. He painted his cheeks and nose with zinc while in the field. His bowling was considered the fastest in the world in the 1992 world cup. He is nicknamed the “ white lightning” for his quick-speed pace of bowling.
But, in 1984, he was selected as the twelfth man for the South African School team. He had to wait a year more, but Donald Made his breakthrough. Donald debuted for the Currie Cup in November 1985.
Allan Donald is the name of the South African player who took 300 test wickets for South Africa for the first time. He also made history in test cricket with an ICC ranking of 895 points in 1998. He also reached 794 points in the ODI ranking. Also had a great friendship with his bowling partner Shaun Pollock.
Fun Fact: Donald was a Protea. But he has a Birmingham accent. This accent developed due to his long stay in Edgbaston while playing for Yorkshire.
Donald was a brute force feared by many bowlers, especially when he applied zinc cream on his cheek and nose to avoid sunburn. Donald had the opportunity to be the first ever ODI team of south Africa. He was also a member of the first South African world cup team. Donald played four world cups for south Africa and won all-time leading wickets (38) for the team.
Fun Fact: Donald was the first cricket in the history of South Africa to win 300 wickets in a test. He is also among the most aggressive bowlers in the history of South African cricket.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)!
Here are some popular questions that fans ask about Donald. You might love to read them, so I have answered them.
Ans: Alland Donald is called white lightning for his fast bowling speed. In May of 2000, the West Australian newspaper revealed that the bowling speed of the famous south African bowler was 155.4kph. Devon Malcolm had a speed of 156.1kph. There was no further information regarding speed of Donald.
Ans: The national team of Bangladesh has appointed Donald as the fast bowling coach til the 2022 T20 World Cup. The former South African bowler is guiding the Bangladesh team as their bowling coach.
Ans: No, Doland did not play IPL. In fact, IPL did not start when he retired. But Donald did coach and mentor the IPL team. He was the coach for Pune Warrior in IPL.
Ans: Donald is currently the main coach of ITEC Knights, the division one cricket team that represents the Free State province in the domestic competition of South Africa.
The White Lightning Strikes!
Alland Donald commentates for SABC (South African Broadcast Corporation). He is also the current head bowling coach for the international cricket team of Bangladesh. His quick bowling is world-famous. He retired from his bowling career with 330 wickets. As a coach, Donald still continues to contribute to the world of cricket.
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