1970
Darren Lehmann, a free-scoring left-hander batsman for Australia, was born on this day. He could have played more cricket for the national side, but due to abundance of talent in the Aussie team during his time, Darren’s career was subdued. He scored three centuries in the space of five Tests in 2003. He hit the winning runs in the World Cup final at Lord’s in 1999. He was a key member of the side that defended the title four years later.
1981
Marlon Samuels, regarded as the next Viv Richards by West Indies cricket, was born on thiss day. He was a cricketer with immense ability but struggled to realise his potential. He debuted in Test cricket at the age of 19. He got his maiden hundred against India in Kolkata. But Samuels was embroiled in a match-fixing controversy after the Nagpur police alleged he had passed on match-related information to an alleged bookie. In 2008, he was found guilty of match-fixing and banned for two years. He returned in 2011 and scored 386 runs in five innings against a top-class English attack in their condition. Later, that year he made 78 in the World T20 final that helped West Indies to their first world title since the 1979 World Cup. But in 2015 he was again banned from bowling for a year when his action was found to be illegal.
1990
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the most dependable fast bowler in this generation, was born on this day. He came into news when as a 19-year-old boy, he dismissed Sachin Tendulkar for his first first-class duck in Indian domestic cricket. Bhubaneshwar has matured himself to become a top-class bowler for India.
2011
The ICC banned Pakistan’s Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif after a tribunal found them guilty of spot-fixing during the Lord’s Test in 2010. Salman Butt was given ten years suspension, Mohammad Asif got seven years Mohammad Amir was handed a five-year suspension. They were handed jail terms later in 2011 by a London. Butt was sentenced to two years and six months, Asif one year and Amir six months.
