11 Facts about Devon Malcolm - The Jack of all rabbits

Boasting of fearsome pace, Devon Malcolm made bowling look like child’s play for most. Unable to break into the bowling unit of the West Indies, Malcolm made a one way trip to England. It was at his adoptive home that Malcolm made his mark in international cricket. Despite a few publicized spats and disputes with the England management, hr enjoyed a decent domestic career in English county cricket. He remains to be one of the first overseas players to don the England Test jersey. Here are some interesting facts about Devon Malcolm.

1. Birth:

Devon Eugene Malcolm was born on the 22^nd of February 1963 in Kingston, Jamaica.

2. The bowling maestro:

Devon and raw pace were almost synonymous with each other. It was at the 1990 tour of the West Indies that the English realized the importance of Malcolm in the side. Playing on dry tracks in the Caribbean, Malcolm was the ammunition to fight the Windies in their own backyard. However, besides his bowling prowess, his other cricketing responsibilities such as fielding, batting and catching were nothing short of horrendous. As Lawrence Booth puts it, “His batting and fielding were court-jester standard – which is part of the reason for his cult status around the world.”

3. Debut Test series:

He got his chance to play for England in the 1989 Ashes series at home. His selection was almost forced courtesy of the nucleus of the English side making the trip to South Africa to play in the rebel series. His debut Test at Nottingham was a forgettable one as he took just one wicket and conceded 166 runs. England lost the Test by an innings and 180 runs.

4. ‘You Guys are history’:

South Africa’s return to Test cricket was consummated by a tour of England in 1994. While he was batting, Malcolm was hit on the helmet by South African pacer Fanie de Villiers. Such was his infuriation that he looked at the slip cordon and exclaimed ‘You guys are history’. These words have thus been etched in England cricketing folklore.

5. 9/57 v South Africa:

August the 20^th 1994 will always be regarded as a red-letter day in the life of Devon Malcolm. Following his on-field spat with Fanie de Villiers, Malcolm unleashed the spell of his life. He unleashed a ferocious assault on the South African batting lineup. He ended up with figures of 9/57 as the Proteas were blasted out for 175. His performance has gone down as one of the top 100 moments in sporting history.

6. The Jack of all rabbits:

He had always been regarded as a perfect tail-ender. Despite his antics with the ball, Malcolm was always regarded as the ‘Jack of all rabbits’. His astounding ineptitude with the bat saw him competing with the likes of Phil Tufnell for the no.11 spot in the England batting order.

7. Sixes galore:

Malcolm is known to be a powerful six-hitter. His broad forearms and lethal ability to swing the bat made him a dangerous tail-ender. His high score of 29 against Australia saw him smash 3 fours and 2 sixes off Shane Warne. His antics with the bat include a masterly 18 against the West Indies and 15 against India.

8. Fallout with Ray Illingworth:

Former England skipper Ray Illingworth served as team manager for the 1995-96 tour of South Africa. Malcolm was reported to have disputes with Illingworth as well as England skipper at the time Peter Lever. The dispute also showed in his bowling performance as he had a reasonably bad tour of South Africa.

9. Post retirement:

Malcolm has authored a book called ‘You Guys Are History’ and has also made a solitary appearance on the TV show The Weakest Link. In addition, he runs a cricket equipment store called DEM Sports. The store caters to serving school kids with cricket gear.

10. A long and eventful first-class career:

He enjoyed a long international career spanning 19 years. He has played for Derbyshire, Northamptonshire, and Leicestershire. In 304 first-class matches, he has taken 1054 wickets.

11. A national hero:

Former cricket writer Colin Bateman has written, “Malcolm, incredibly wholehearted with an easy charm off the field, became a national hero”.