Allan Donald

Allan Anthony Donald is a retired South African cricketer. He was born in Bloemfontein, Orange Free State Province, South Africa, on 20 October 1966. It is widely considered that Allan is one of the most successful South African pace bowlers of all time.

In Test cricket, he was the first Proteas player to take 300 wickets with right-arm fast bowlers. Cricket fans and teammates nicknamed him The White Lightning because he used to come to the field with a circular white area of zinc cream across his cheeks and nose.

Personal Information

Born: 20 October 1966 Nationality: South-African
Years Active: (1991-2003) Birth Place:Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, South Africa
Height: 6ft 4in Role: Bowler
Batting Style: Right-Handed Bat Bowling Style: Right-arm Fast
Nickname:White Lightning  

Allan Donald’s Journey

Family

Allan Donald and his wife Tina Donald live in Durbin, South Africa. The wife of Allan Donald is an English woman who lived in Birmingham before they were married. They have a son named Oliver Donald and a daughter named Hannah Donald. Throughout his career, Allan had rough times with his family. He once left a series in England when coaching the South African cricket team.

First Appearance

Allan Donald made his international debut against India in an ODI in Kolkata on 10 November 1991. The Indian batting order was thrashed by him in his debut match when he took 5 wickets for 29 runs.

In the end, it was Sachin Tendulkar's 62 runs off 73 balls that turned the match around. Afterward, Donald and Sachin shared the Man of the Match award.

He played his first Test match against the West Indies in Barbados on April 18, 1992. Despite losing the match, he took two wickets for 67 runs in the first innings and four wickets for 77 runs in the second innings.

Ascend to Glory

At the beginning of the 1990s and into the 2000s, Donald was the fastest bowler in the world. In the 1992 ICC World Cup, he bowled fearsome pace to take South Africa to the semi-finals. As a result of his performance in the tournament, he took 13 wickets at an average of 25.30 and with an economy of 4.21.

In the 1998 Trent Bridge test match between South Africa and England, South Africa made 374 runs. In response, England was bowled out for 336 by Allan, who picked up five wickets. In their second innings, England had 247 runs to chase. As the day wore on, Donald bowled several bouncers to Michael Atherton, but he survived several close opportunities to remain not out. According to Donald's biography, this was one of the most tense moments during his Test career.

At the 1999 Cricket World Cup, he took 16 wickets at an average of 20.31 and again led his team to the semi-finals.

Low Point

During his short 12-year career, he did not experience such low points. In the history of bowling, he is considered one of the finest.

The only regret he had was not winning a World Cup for South Africa, because he thought his team was very good and played excellent cricket.

Donald's Record

In Test cricket, Donald took 330 wickets at an average of 22.25, and in one-day Internationals; he took 272 wickets at an average of 21.78. Later, his records were ultimately surpassed by Shaun Pollock.

With 1,216 wickets in 316 games at an average of 22.76, Allan dominates domestic cricket statistics. A total of 684 wickets have been taken by him in List-A cricket as well.

Apart from all this, he has amazing records in his International career, such as

  • 4 Wickets on Debut
  • 40 Wickets in a Calendar Year
  • Best Strike Rates
  • Diamond Ducks (Dismissed without Facing a Ball)
  • Lowest Bowling Averages
  • Most 4 Wickets in a Match Hauls
  • Most Career Overs Bowled

Retirement

In 2003, Donald retired from international cricket after South Africa's exit from the ICC Cricket World Cup. Since he is knowledgeable about bowling, he has been hired as a bowling coach by several international teams such as England, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, etc.

Career Statistics

Donald, the first South African bowler to take 300 Test wickets, commands the respect of the public as well as his peers. His records are excellent, which we have already highlighted in this informative post. Here are his stats:-

ODI
Matches: 164 Run Scored: 95
Run Given: 5926
Bowling Average: 21.79 Top Numbers: 6/23
10W/5W: 0/2 Wickets: 272
T20
Matches: 164 Run Scored: 95
Run Given: 5926
Bowling Average: 21.79 Top Numbers: 6/23
10W/5W: 0/2 Wickets: 272
Test
Matches: 72 Run Scored: 652
Run Given: 15519
Bowling Average: 22.25 Top Numbers:12/139
10W/5W: 3/20 Wickets: 330

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