Old boy does school proud
WHEN the Indian community from around Port Elizabeth, especially South End, were forced out by the then government in terms of the Group Areas Act and relocated to Malabar, they established the first school exclusively for Indians in the Cape province.
Woolhope High School, as it was then known, was opened in 1972.
Little did the staff and community realise that the boy who enrolled in the primary section from the Muslim Educational Institute in Kempston Road would go on to become one of the best-known names in world cricket.
Former International Cricket Council chief executive Haroon Lorgat, 52, began his new job as chief executive of Cricket South Africa (CSA) this month.
The son of immigrants, Lorgat was a promising cricketer while still at school and was Woolhope's sportsboy of the year when he was still in Standard 8 (Grade 10) and headboy in matric.
He went on to Rhodes and graduated with a BCom degree and is a qualified accountant.
He represented Eastern Province while still at high school and went on to play for then Transvaal after university. A useful batsman, Lorgat played in 76 first-class matches, scoring 2813 runs including three centuries and 12 half-centuries. He held various positions starting off as finance committee member for the United Cricket Board. His last position before taking up the post as ICC chief executive in 2011 was that of chairman of selectors for CSA.
Older brother and last year's The Herald GM Citizen of the Year, Yusuf Lorgat, is understandably proud. "Haroon is continuing the trend set by our late father, Mohamed.
"We have been involved in community work , including sport, all our lives.
"The youngsters in our family have a tough act to follow to keep up the tradition."
Lorgat has a married daughter, Naseera, and son, Mohamed Zaheer, who is in the Boland provincial cricket team.