Fast bowler Allan Donald played 72 and 1640 ODIs for South Africa from 1991 to 2003.
Donald spoke to the The Biggest Man in Cricket podcast about that run-out during the 1999 Cricket World Cup, potentially playing for England at the time and the rise of fast bowler Kagiso Rabada.
Allan Donald: I could have played for England
“Yes, I remember bumping into Alan Lamb and Robin Smith and his brother Chris Smith,” Donald told The Biggest Man in Cricket podcast.
“We we at an event, had a beer together and Lamb dropped the thing and said, ‘South Africa’s not going to get any better, do you fancy playing for England?’
“The lights went off, of course you’re gullible back then and think, ‘Wow, what an opportunity’. That was in 1989 and I told Dr Ali Bacher, I have a lot of respect for Dr Bacher, I was honest and he said to me, ‘Allan, just wait, just wait 12 months. South Africa will be back, I can’t tell you when, but it will be’.
“And then in 1990 I got a call, I was playing county cricket, Dr Bacher is sitting at Lord’s and he said South Africa have just been voted back in and we are going to the Cricket World Cup in 1992 and that was it, mind was made up, a great moment.”
Allan Donald: I’m not here to judge what Lance Klusener did
“I’m not here to judge what Lance Klusener did, he did what he did, that was the right decision for him in that moment,” added Donald.
“The right decision for me in that moment was not to be run out the ball before, so when I saw it come over to me, I knew there were two very close fielders.
“So for me the decision was, there’s still two balls to go after this, but you’re in the crosshairs, but for me it made me think differently definitely as to how delicate you have to be to support players who have gone through that before or will do in the future. It was a pretty traumatic experience.”
Allan Donald on Kagiso Rabada: You always judge someone on his consistency
“I had the privilege of handing Kagiso his first cap at the Adelaide Oval in front of a massive crowd in his first T20I and he bowled absolute rockets that night,” continued Donald.
“For Shane Watson to come over and say, ‘This is a special talent’ – Kagiso was clocking 156 kilometres per hour. His fastest ball was recorded at 158, so that is a speed bracket. He looked natural. I saw Kagiso at the Under-19 World Cup under coach Ray Jennings and Ray said, ‘This guy is going to become box office’.
“He sometimes pops in to the Lions and comes to have a bowl. He plays the odd game for us, so when he does we really appreciate that, his leadership around the group, especially the youngsters who all gravitate to him and that’s what we wants.
“What an unbelievable character, what a bowler, what a performer, and you always judge someone on his consistency, and he has been just that and more.”
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