The legendary fast bowler from South Africa, Allan Donald has been picked as Bangladesh's first bowling coach till the Twenty20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. Donald's first tour as pace bowling coach will begin this month with Bangladesh's tour of South Africa and will last until November. He will try to impart his knowledge and expertise to Bangladesh's fast bowlers during the next eight to nine months. Let's look at Allan Donald's coaching and professional cricket careers to see how he could be able to help Bangladesh cricket.
Allan Donald's Cricket Career Profile
Bangladesh's national team was without a fast bowling coach after Ottis Gibson's departure in January this year. Finally, Allan Donald has been hired as his replacement.
International Career
Allan Donald was born in the South African city of Bloemfontein in 1966. He made his first-class debut for the Orange Free State in the 1985/1986 season. Later, Donald made his international debut against the West Indies after South Africa's return to international sport in 1992. He took six wickets in his first international match, including Brian Lara in the second innings, and justified his position in the playing XI.
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Allan Donald was regarded as one of his generation's most deadly pacers. Along with Pakistan's Waqar Younis, he was one of the fastest bowlers of the 90s. Donald was dubbed 'White Lightning' because of his pace. He announced his retirement from international cricket in 2003.
Allan Donald appeared in 72 Tests and took 330 wickets with an average of 22.25. His best bowling figure was 8/71 in the Test. Donald averaged 21.78 in ODI cricket, taking 272 wickets in 164 appearances. His best bowling figure was 6/23 in one-day internationals.
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Coaching Career
Allan Donald began coaching the England national team in May 2007. He served as a temporary bowling consultant for the team and was lauded by the English players.
Donald later served as a coach with Warwickshire County Cricket Club alongside Ashley Giles. They worked together to help the team win the County Championship Second Division in 2008.
He also managed Zimbabwean club Mountaineers in 2010 and was the New Zealand national side's bowling coach during the 2011 World Cup.
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The right-hand pacer was hired as the fast bowling coach of the South African national team in July 2011, a role he held until 2015. Donald also assisted the Sri Lankan national squad in the 2017 Champions Trophy as a bowling consultant.
Allan Donald also worked as a bowling coach for the Royal Challengers Bangalore of IPL and Kent County Cricket Club. Overall, Donald has a lot of experience as a coach.
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What Can BCB Look Forward To From Allan Donald?
Allan Donald was known for his speed during his playing career. He was also a disciplined bowler with a knack for picking up wickets. Given his mindset as a bowler, Bangladesh should expect Donald to demand strong effort from his pupils. Newcomers may learn about developing variations while keeping up with the tempo.
Taskin Ahmed, Rubel Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, and other Bangladesh's quickest bowlers will gain from his hiring if they want to increase their pace while reducing injuries. Donald is a die-hard character and had the ability to take wickets on barren surfaces. Pacers may also learn how to take up wickets on conditions that aren't conducive to bowling.
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Based on CV, Allan Donald's selection seems to be a sensible BCB move. Now it's up to the players to make the most of this opportunity by learning new things from the legend.
Bottom Line
International cricket has three formats, each of which requires the use of different mentality bowlers. Having worked with national teams, English County clubs, and T20 franchise teams, Allan Donald comprehends what it takes for a fast bowler to succeed in each format. Therefore, Allan Donald can provide the best advice to Bangladesh's pacers. He was a world-class Test bowler in his day. This will be a fantastic opportunity for Bangladesh's Test bowlers to learn some of his magic tricks. Besides, having one of the game's legends in the dressing room would bolster confidence in the Bangladesh players.