Colombo: Allan Donald, the legendary pace bowler and current bowling coach of South Africa, has not forgotten his brush with the UAE cricket team back in the 1990s.
Sixteen years ago, Donald hit the former UAE captain Sultan Zarawani on the head with a bouncer.
Zarawani had came out to bat against Donald wearing just a sun hat during the 1996 World Cup.
Donald, who was shocked to see a batsman come out to bat without a helmet, promptly hit him on the head and dismissed him immediately.
Speaking to Gulf News, Donald said: “It was one of those incidents. He was hit on the head and it is not something that I want to see every day. However, as Sir Richard Hadlee (legendary ex-New Zealand star) once said, for a pacer a batsman is always an obstacle, and you have to act to move him somehow.”
Donald, who took 330 wickets in a stellar 10-year Test career for South Africa between 1992 and 2002, quickly added: “That is not one of the ways to do it. Frankly, I would have been happy if he had worn a helmet that day.”
The South African legend went on to stress the importance of wearing protective equipment against pacers. “Every child that starts playing should realise the importance of having the right protective equipment. As a coach, I keep checking on kids during net practices and ensure they are wearing the right equipment. It is important to bat with thigh pad inside, a box and forearm guard and a helmet,” said the fearsome former pacer.
Does Donald believe that pace is something that should be enjoyed or feared by batsmen? “Some people don’t like pace, some play it better than others. It is something to do with your mentality, but most batsmen now play pace very well on any sort of wicket. I cannot think of any batsmen who cannot play pace well.”
Donald then went on to give tips to a few children who had come to attend the International Cricket Council’s HIV awareness event in Colombo. While giving tips on in-swingers, he said. “It is not about using the width of the crease like some guys do. The Indian pacer [Shantakumaran] Sreesanth, who is very smart and very skilful, uses his wrists so well and angles the ball beautifully. He is a very good bowler.”
