Birthday special: JP Duminy – The unsung hero of South African cricket

He represented his country at the international level for a decade and a half. He stood up for his side when they desperately needed him to. Jean-Paul Duminy was the ‘go to’ man for South Africa in troubled times. While legendary Jacques Kallis is hailed for the glittering numbers that he has accumulated in his career, and AB de Villiers has a legion of fans for his ability to play stunning shots, Duminy was the unsung hero of the South African side.

The left-hander represented South Africa in 46 Test matches, 199 ODIs and 81 T20Is. In the whites, Duminy scored 2103 runs and scored his runs at an average of 32.86. In ODI cricket, Duminy plundered 5117 runs at a decent average of 36.81. In fact, in T20I cricket, he is the highest run-scorer for the Proteas and has plundered 1934 runs.

One look at Duminy’s numbers in a win in Tests will help us understand his worth to the South African side.

The above table reveals the worth of Duminy with the bat. While he averaged 32.86 in his Test career, he averaged a stunning 54.60 in a Test win. Also, 5 out of his 6 Test hundreds and 5 out of his 8 Test fifties came in a winning cause for his side. And, same is the case in ODI cricket as well.

In the table below, let us take a look at Duminy’s overall numbers in ODI cricket and his numbers in a win in the ODI format.

In ODI cricket too, Duminy played a pivotal role in helping South Africa win matches. While the stylish left-hander averaged 36.81 in his ODI career, he averaged a whopping 51.91 in wins. Also, all his 4 hundreds in the ODI format came in a winning cause, and 22 out of his 27 half-centuries resulted in a win as well.

Needless to say, Duminy was a valuable asset for the South African side in his own right. As the South African turns 39 today, here is wishing him a very happy birthday.