Menu

Ashwell Prince

Ashwell Prince
Ashwell Prince Image: Wikimedia Commons. paddynapper / CC BY-SA 2.0

Overview

Ashwell Gavin Prince (born 28 May 1977) is a former South African cricketer who represented his country in all three formats of the international game. A left-handed batsman, he is best remembered as the first non-white man to captain the South African Test side, having stood in as captain for an injured Graeme Smith in two Test matches at the age of 29. Over the course of his international career, Prince played 66 Tests and 52 One Day Internationals (ODIs) for South Africa.

Key facts

Full name Ashwell Gavin Prince
Date of birth 28 May 1977
Nationality South African
Role Batsman
Test debut 2002
ODI debut 2002
Tests played 66 (2002–2011)
ODIs played 52 (2002–2007)
Test batting average 41.64
International centuries 11 (all in Tests)
Retirement September 2015

Background

Prince emerged from South African domestic cricket during a period of significant transformation in the country's sport. His elevation to the national captaincy, when he deputised for Graeme Smith in two Tests, marked a notable milestone in the post-apartheid history of South African cricket, as he became the first non-white player to lead the Test team.

Domestic career

Prince began his first-class career with Eastern Province in the 1995–96 South African season. Over the years he turned out for several South African domestic sides, including:

  • Eastern Province
  • Western Province
  • Western Province Boland
  • Cape Cobras
  • Warriors

He also had two stints in English county cricket, initially with Nottinghamshire and subsequently with Lancashire.

International career

Prince made his Test and ODI debuts for South Africa in 2002. His ODI career ran from 2002 to 2007, during which he played 52 matches. His Test career was longer, spanning 2002 to 2011 and comprising 66 appearances. He scored 11 centuries in international cricket, all of them in the Test format, and finished with a Test batting average of 41.64.

Captaincy

At the age of 29, Prince captained South Africa in two Test matches as a stand-in for the injured Graeme Smith. The appointment was historically significant as he became the first non-white man to lead the South African Test side.

Retirement

Prince first announced his intention to retire from professional cricket at the end of the 2014 English season. He continued for another year before formally retiring in September 2015.

Post-playing roles

After retiring as a player, Prince moved into coaching and broadcasting roles:

  • Served as a guest commentator with ABC Grandstand during an Australia–South Africa Test series in Australia.
  • Took up the position of batting consultant with the Bangladesh national cricket team in mid-2021.
  • Resigned from the Bangladesh role in early 2022.

Significance

Prince occupies a notable place in South African cricket history, both as a long-serving Test middle-order batsman and as a symbol of the broadening representation in the country's national side. His captaincy, although brief, is regarded as a landmark in the integration of South African cricket.

References