A charismatic six feet three inches tall blond, Allan Anthony Donald, had performed magnificently even before South Africa were readmitted to the International Cricket Council in 1991.
Outstanding bowling performances in the English County Championship for Warwickshire, earned the Bloemfontein-born Donald the tag of the fastest-ever white bowler. In the 1989 season, he claimed 86 wickets at 16.25 and two years later, snapped up 83 wickets at 19.68.
Donald, who will celebrate his 31st birthday during the fourth day of the second Test at Sheikhupura on Oct 20, is not enjoying the royalty of that reputation. His performance with the red cherry is simply superb. In 33 Tests todate, Donald has captured 155 wickets, highest by a South Africa, at 23.36. In 87 one-day internationals, he has grabbed 147 wickets at 21.78 with his economy rate being a fraction over four.
In the 1992-93 season, Donald earned South Africa their first Test win since their readmission and that too single-handedly. In the Cape Town Test against India, he captured 12 wickets for 139 including seven for 84 in the second innings.
It is not only unfortunate for Allan Donald or South Africa but the entire cricketing world that he had to make his Test debut at the age of 25 against the West Indies when South Africa regained Test status in 1991. Such a wonderful bowler with a perfect bowling action had to wait, so as the cricket enthuasists, for no less five earns to make his first appearance at the Test arena. Had Donald worn Test cap in his late teens or early 20s, he would have been closing gaps on the leading wicket-takers like Kapil Dev and Sir Richard Hadlee.
Donald, who bowls with fire, venom and has a habit to do even better each time he takes the field, is not as hot-minded as other fast bowlers are. It was a pleasure talking him. The centre of conversation revolved mostly around the soft-spoken Donald.
``I don't think the wickets here will suit my type of bowling. The wickets here are flatter than in India where they do seam a little bit,'' opined Donald.
``It have done pretty well in the sub-continent, particularly in India. This is a new tour to me - first time to Pakistan for a Test series.
``It is a very important tour for the team's point of view because it's time that we show the cricket world that we can win outside South Africa,'' Donald said, adding: ``Pakistan is going to be a very hard side to beat. Two very well balanced and high class teams will be playing against each other.
``We have 18 months of cricket ahead but presently, our priority is to beat Pakistan in Pakistan. And that's on what we are concentrating upon.''
Donald thinks that it is not difficult for him to keep changing his strategy and style for Test and one-day cricket. ``You have to motivate yourself when you come from provincial or county cricket into international cricket because it is definitely a step ahead.''
Donald, when asked if he can play non-stop cricket round-the-year, he said it chiefly depended upon the fitness. ``It is definitely difficult playing cricket all year round and that's why we have a fitness adviser with us all the time who keeps us in shape.
``My secret to fitness is to stay focused, remain mentally and physically strong which is really not very easy. But the most important thing is to pick the right games. I try to play all the warm-up matches, missing very little. It helps really a lot,'' he feels.
Allan Donald thinks it is not only going to be an Allan Donald show in the forthcoming series. He emphasises that South Africa have a very well balanced bowling attack with his new ball partners being Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusener, Brian McMillan and Brett Schultz.
``I know I will be the centre of attraction and that brings a lot of pressure on me. But these two guys (Pollock and Klusener) and others take a lot (pressure) off me. It will not be an Allan Donald show, it will be a South African show.''
To be a successful team, Donald continued, you have to pull everything together and we have a team which works hard and has the potential to beat every one. ``We can surprise Pakistan with our strength.''
Donald placed himself behind Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis as the best pacers. ``Curtly Ambrose, Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie are the others. But the important thing is that a good crop of fast bowlers are playing top class cricket and some are following in the foot-step of those.''
Donald springs into action on Thursday when he is expected to play an Aamir Sohail-led Combined XI at the National Stadium. The Test series starts at Rawalpindi from Oct 6.