Roger Telemachus

South Africa has always been known for its fast bowling reserves and the sheer depth of it has often seen a few unlucky men miss out. Roger Telemachus belongs to that category. A skiddy pace bowler who could swing the ball and also move it off the seam, Telemachus was also an incredibly injury-prone customer which was another factor that hindered his growth in international cricket. Born in Cape Province, he ended up playing for many provinces and franchises, all with a fair share of success. Telemachus was part of that famous ODI run chase of 438 by South Africa against Australia in 2006 and ended with two scalps in that game. He also played a 6-ball 12 cameo at the very end to push the Proteas closer to the historic win.

That highlight aside, Telemachus had a largely uneventful career in international cricket. He was consistent in picking wickets but never had a five-wicket haul. Another factor that went against him was the lack of pace that he had when compared to his peers. This factor made him less effective on pitches that didn't have much in it for the bowlers. Having debuted in 1998, injuries and stiff competition ensured that he was mostly in and out of the side. After the home series against Sri Lanka in 2002, it did seem like he would struggle to make a comeback but consistent domestic performances saw him earn a recall in the 2006-07 season, eventually being a part of the World Cup squad as well.

By Hariprasad Sadanandan