One of Zimbabwe’s most controversial sportsmen shared his experiences with Highlanders on February 25.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Former test cricketer Henry Olonga played 30 tests and 50 one-day matches for Zimbabwe, but he is best remembered for his protest at the 2003 World Cup.
Olonga was Zimbabwe's first black test cricketer and appeared at the International Cricket Hall of Fame on February 25 to raise money for the Anglican Aid 'WaterWorks for a Thirsty World' appeal.
The former pace bowler captivated his audience with stories from his African childhood, his cricket career and his Christian testimony.
Olonga was forced to live in exile after he made a public stand against the Mugabe regime in 2003.
He, along with Andy Flower, wore black armbands during the World Cup match against Namibia to “mourn the death of democracy” in Zimbabwe.
This action not only brought on a retirement from cricket at age 26, but also death threats and a charge of treason.
Olonga summed up his career simply.
“I went from hero to zero to hero to zero,” he said.
Olonga made his international debut in 1995 and became the youngest and the first black cricketer to play for Zimbabwe.
“I walked out on to the field with mainly a white crowd watching me and they gave me a standing ovation,” he said.
“Imagine the pride one must feel to play for their country but also the social and political significance of that moment.”
But it was a shaky start for Olonga in that same match.
“I was a hero before I had done anything. But that changed very quickly,” he said.
“God had blessed me with something called speed but he hadn’t blessed me with accuracy. I was fast but the ball could go anywhere.”
“My first delivery in test cricket was unsurprisingly wide.”
But Olonga was again able to redeem himself in the first match.
“I took a wicket on my third delivery in test cricket. So I was back to hero.”
But in 2003, he became an outcast from his country after taking a political stand.
“It was a very sad time but it was also historic.”
Olonga, who now lives in Australia, is the only cricketer to have had a number one record.
He surprised the Hall of Fame audience with a rendition of his chart-topping song Our Zimbabwe.
Olonga partnered with Anglican Aid to raise awareness about WaterWorks, which is raising money for vulnerable communities that don't have access to clean water, hygiene and sanitation.
For more, visit https://anglicanaid.org.au/events/waterworks-for-a-thirsty-world.