| Personal information | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Henry Khaaba Olonga | |||
| Born | 3 July 1976 Lusaka, Zambia |
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| Batting style | Right-handed | |||
| Bowling style | Right arm fast | |||
| Role | Bowler, commentator | |||
| International information | ||||
| National side | Zimbabwe | |||
| Test debut (cap 25) | 31 January 1995 v Pakistan | |||
| Last Test | 19 November 2002 v Pakistan | |||
| ODI debut (cap 41) | 21 October 1995 v South Africa | |||
| Last ODI | 12 March 2003 v Kenya | |||
| Domestic team information | ||||
| Years | Team | |||
| 2002–2003 | Manicaland | |||
| 2001–2002 | Mashonaland A | |||
| 1993–1999 | Matabeleland | |||
| Career statistics | ||||
| Competition | Test | ODI | FC | LA |
| Matches | 30 | 50 | 66 | 82 |
| Runs scored | 184 | 95 | 659 | 255 |
| Batting average | 5.41 | 7.30 | 9.98 | 10.62 |
| 100s/50s | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| Top score | 24 | 31 | 45 | 32* |
| Balls bowled | 4,502 | 2,059 | 10,048 | 3,311 |
| Wickets | 68 | 58 | 156 | 92 |
| Bowling average | 38.52 | 34.08 | 37.89 | 33.67 |
| 5 wickets in innings | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 10 wickets in match | 0 | n/a | 0 | n/a |
| Best bowling | 5/70 | 6/19 | 5/70 | 6/19 |
| Catches/stumpings | 10/– | 13/– | 29/– | 24/– |
| Source: Cricinfo, 4 December 2008 | ||||
Henry Khaaba Olonga (born 3 July 1976) is a former Zambian-born cricketer for Zimbabwe.
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He made his international debut in a Test match against Pakistan at Harare in 1995, at age 18 years, 212 days, becoming the youngest player to represent Zimbabwe. He helped Zimbabwe to its first ever Test victory in that game. That year, he was no-balled for throwing in a Test match, and rebuilt his action before returning to cricket. A right arm fast bowler, Olonga was the first black cricketer to play for Zimbabwe and is the third Zambian-born Test cricketer after Phil Edmonds and Neal Radford of England.
Olonga achieved international recognition (along with team mate Andy Flower) in 2003 by wearing a black armband in a Cricket World Cup match to protest against the policies of Zimbabwe's government, led by Robert Mugabe. He and Flower released a statement on 10 February, stating in part:
| “ | In all the circumstances, we have decided that we will each wear a black armband for the duration of the World Cup. In doing so we are mourning the death of democracy in our beloved Zimbabwe. In doing so we are making a silent plea to those responsible to stop the abuse of human rights in Zimbabwe. In doing so, we pray that our small action may help to restore sanity and dignity to our nation | ” |
This act led to a warrant issued in Zimbabwe for Olonga's arrest on charges of treason (which carries the death penalty in Zimbabwe) and forced him to retire from international cricket and temporarily go into hiding.
Olonga played 30 Test matches for Zimbabwe, taking 68 wickets with a bowling average of 38.52, and 50 One Day Internationals, taking 58 wickets at an average of 34.08. He holds the record for the best bowling in a One Day International by a Zimbabwean, with figures of 6/19 against England at Cape Town in 2000.
He met physical education teacher Tara Read, while both were attending the Australian Institute of Sport's cricket program in Adelaide. The couple married in 2004.[1]
On Friday 13 October 2006, Olonga won Five's The All Star Talent Show with 50% of the overall votes.
Olonga is now pursuing a career as a cricket commentator and singer and released an album, 'Aurelia' in 2006.
His autobiography, Blood, Sweat and Treason, was released in July 2010 by Vision Sports Publishing and was longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2010.
He has Kenyan roots and former Kenyan minister Francis Masakhalia is his uncle [2]
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