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Zimbabwe’s first black cricketer, Henry Olonga, says he has felt “hated” for 20 years following his black armband protest against his country’s then-president, Robert Mugabe.
Olonga and team-mate Andy Flower made the stand against “the death of democracy” in their country at the jointly-hosted 2003 World Cup in South Africa and Kenya.
The pair have lived in exile ever since, while Mugabe remained in power until 2017.
Flower would go on to coach England to successive Ashes triumphs.
A different path awaited Olonga with an appearance on TV talent show The Voice in 2019, where he was coached by Destiny’s Child star Kelly Rowland, bringing him back to his first love – singing.
A journey that began by escaping Zimbabwe under a blanket, however, has taken its toll.
“I’m a forgotten person as far as the world of cricket goes,” Olonga told BBC Sport Africa.
“With…
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