OTD | Doug Bollinger was born in 1981

Former pacer Doug Bollinger was one of those bowlers to have played during Australia’s golden era. Born on July 24, 1981, in Baulkham Hills, Sydney, Bollinger’s career spanned 15 years.

The left-hander made his First-Class debut in the 2002-03 season. He worked his way up the ranks, eventually earning his Test debut in 2009 at the iconic SCG against South Africa. Bollinger made the most of his chances as he grabbed 50 wickets at an average of 25.92 in 12 Tests. He also played 39 ODIs, collecting 62 wickets to his name. His performances, particularly between 2009 and 2011, were good enough to see him named in the ICC Test and ODI Teams of the Year in 2010.

Bollinger also took part in the IPL, where he became an instant favourite for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Replacing an injured Jacob Oram midway through IPL 2010, Bollinger made a massive impact. His iconic catch to dismiss Yusuf Pathan and his 4/13 in the semi-final helped CSK win their maiden IPL title. He continued to deliver in 2011 and became an important part of CSK’s bowling attack.

In domestic cricket, he remained a stalwart for New South Wales. He also spent some seasons in English county cricket with Worcestershire and Kent. However, consistent injuries impacted his career. He missed the 2011 World Cup and slowly slipped out of contention. Despite a T20I return in 2014, it turned out to be his last international appearance. Doug Bollinger retired from all forms of cricket in February 2018.

“My first captain for NSW was Steve Waugh, which was unbelievable. I played under some great captains and players for NSW and Australia including Steve, Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting. To play for 15 or 16 seasons with the SCG as my home ground has been amazing,” the pacer said at the time of his retirement.

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