Henry Olonga

He was nominated as one of the finalists in the search hunt for Zimbabwe's best high school actor for his performance as Charlie Davenport (a character which featured in the film 1950 film Annie Get Your Gun) while he was still the head boy.

In a school cricket match against Brighton College, he scored 103 runs and took 8 wickets for 15 runs.

Henry Khaaba Olonga (born 3 July 1976) is a Zimbabwean former cricketer, who played Test and One Day International (ODI) cricket for Zimbabwe.

In domestic first-class cricket in Zimbabwe, Olonga played for Matabeleland, Mashonaland and Manicaland.

He found a firm Christian faith in 1992 at a youth camp in Marondera.

He was also selected to play for Matabeleland in national primary schools cricket week.

Olonga made his debut in first-class cricket in March 1994, aged 17, playing for Matabeleland against Mashonaland in the Logan Cup at Harare Sports Club.

He took five wickets in the match, but had varied performances over the next couple of years.

When he made his Test debut in January 1995, he was the first black cricketer and the youngest person to play for Zimbabwe.

He was not an obvious or automatic choice when he was selected to make his international debut for Zimbabwe in the Test against Pakistan in Harare in January 1995 (although Olonga could have been selected to play for Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka earlier in 1995, when David Brain and Eddo Brandes were absent due to injury, but he was found to be ineligible as he still held Kenyan nationality).

It was revealed that his father was against Olonga's decision to pursue his career in cricket and wanted him to compete at the Olympics representing Kenya.

However, Olonga refused his father's interest and did not give up his cricket ambitions.

Having given up his Kenyan citizenship, Olonga became the youngest player to represent Zimbabwe in international cricket, aged 18 years and 212 days.

He grew up watching the likes of Malcolm Marshall and Allan Donald and consider them as his childhood idols.

A right arm fast bowler, Olonga was also the first black cricketer to play for Zimbabwe and the third Zambian-born Test cricketer after Phil Edmonds and Neal Radford of England.

Zimbabwe beat Pakistan by an innings and 64 runs, the team's first ever Test victory, mainly due to a double century from Grant Flower, as well as centuries from Andy Flower and Guy Whittall.

Olonga took the wicket of Saeed Anwar in his first over, but he was no-balled once for throwing.

He featured in three World Cup tournaments in 1996, 1999 and 2003.

During his playing days, he formed a rivalry against former Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar whenever Zimbabwe and India played against each other in international cricket.

He was also regarded as Zimbabwe cricket's poster boy.

He was considered one of the fastest bowlers in international cricket, but also one of the more inaccurate, bowling many wides and no-balls.

He was a regular member of the Zimbabwe team through 1998 to 2003.

He continued to play domestic first-class cricket for Matabeleland until 1998–99 and then for Mashonaland A in 2001–02.

Olonga later played for Manicaland in 2002–03.

His international career came to an end in 2003 after Olonga and teammate Andy Flower wore black armbands during an international cricket match in the 2003 Cricket World Cup to "mourn the death of democracy" in Zimbabwe.

Death threats forced him to live in exile in England.

Olonga announced his retirement from international cricket after Zimbabwe's final game in the 2003 World Cup at the age of 26 when he was in the prime years of his career.

Olonga and Flower were given honorary life membership of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) later in 2003.

He and Flower were also honoured by the Cricket Writer's Club during the annual dinner where they were conferred with the Peter Smith Memorial Award, an award which is given as an annual acknowledgement of outstanding contributions to the game of cricket.

Olonga was born in Lusaka, Zambia.

His father John Olonga was a Kenyan surgeon and his mother was Zimbabwean.

He has two sisters and two brothers as well as ten half-brothers and sisters from his father's first marriage.

Olonga, in his autobiography, reveled how his parents had to be separated temporarily when he was just four years old when his mother learned that her husband had hidden his first marriage from her.

One of his brothers, Victor Olonga, played professional rugby and became captain of the Zimbabwe national team.

His uncle is the former Kenyan minister Francis Masakhalia.

Soon after his birth, his family had returned to Kenya.

After returning to Kenya, the family then moved to Bulawayo in Zimbabwe as his father intended to provide and ensure access to higher quality education for his children.

Olonga was educated at Rhodes Estate Preparatory School (REPS) and began playing cricket at the age of eight and also played cricket for the Partridges, the Zimbabwe national primary schools cricket team.

He then attended Plumtree School, where he became head boy.

He was involved in acting, athletics and rugby in addition to cricket.