Nicky Boje

Nicky Boje Biography

Nicky Boje was born on 20th March 1973 in Bloemfontein in the Orange Free State Province of South Africa. The former South African cricketer has played in 43 tests, 115 ODIs and was a part of a single T20 international for South Africa.

Boje played as an all-rounder in the South African team. He is a left-handed batsman and bowls slow left-arm orthodox.

Boje was one of the members of the Africa XI team during the 2005 Afro-Asia Cup. He also has the distinction of being the first cap of T20 Internationals for the South African team as well.

Background

Boje has been the captain of the South Africa Schools and had been selected as a middle-order batsman for consecutive three years. From an early age itself, he has showcased his abilities, opening the bowling for his own school, and then switched to bowling slow left-arm spin on the coach's suggestion.

Boje was an integral member of the English county of Northamptonshire County Cricket Club during the 2007 season. Boje has amassed 4,346 runs and has taken 294 wickets in his Test and ODI career.

Boje has a batting average of 24.97 and also has a bowling average of 32.47 during his career playing for South Africa as an all-rounder.

Debut

Boje made his first-class debut for the Warriors against the Titans during the 1990-91 season. During his list, A career Boje played for the Lions. Boje had a first-class batting average of 32, and also holds an average of 26 in ODI’S.

Boje's international career began in 1995 as he made his international debut in the ODI format against Zimbabwe in Harare. Boje was in and out of the team due to the slew of injuries and a series of poor performances which seemed to leave his career stranded.

Boje made a strong comeback to the South African side as he made his test debut against a strong Indian side at the Wankhede in Mumbai during February 2000.

Rise to glory

Boje was dropped for four long years after his initial squad selection. He worked really hard on his bowling, and produced some impeccable match-winning performances in both India and Sri Lanka, which finally established Boje as a name to reckon with.

The South African had held the number one position on the test ranking charts in 2000-01, a position that had been briefly held by Claude Henderson of Australia in 2001-02, and then to his fellow country mates Robin Peterson and Paul Adams in 2003.

Boje played pivotal during the final Test of the New Zealand tour of 2003-04, as he dished out a match-winning performance with his dramatic eight-wicket haul helped South Africa to post a win to level the series against New Zealand.

Low points

Post Boje’s debut against Zimbabwe, his career went on a downward spiral as he was in and out of the team due to regular injuries and his slump to form, which kept his place in the national side in a spot of bother.

Club Career

Boje was part of the English County side Northamptonshire CCC for the last few weeks of the 2007 season as a replacement overseas player for Johan Van der Wath.

In 2008, Boje took over the role as the captain for the Northamptonshire side. It was a breakthrough year for Boje as, during the 2008 season, he recorded his highest ever first class cricket score of 226*.

Retirement

After fighting his way back into the squad to face India in 2006, Boje took many by surprise as he announced his retirement from international cricket to concentrate on his domestic career with the Eagles.

He finished with exactly 100 Test wickets, by taking the prized scalp of Mahela Jayawardene.