Fear was his calling card in a fiery stay

Fast and furious is often used loosely these days but that description sat perfectly on Brett Schultz. He was big — stood over six feet and weighed around 100 kgs €“ and hurled the cricket ball “either to get a batsman out or knock him down.” A gentleman to the core off the field, Schultz admits he liked putting the fear of God into the batsmen.

Recurring injuries and a difficult action ensured that the left-arm tearaway played no more than nine Tests in a span of five years (from 1992 to 1997) and retired by the age of 28. During that short career he did enough to create, what he says, an “urban legend” about him. Now an insurer and a business partner, Schultz leads a contended life in Cape Town. DH caught up with him for a chat. Excerpts.

Do you think if you had played now, you could have prolonged your career?

The modern-day game, they are better conditioned than what we were and they have their workloads managed. I believe its something like four days on and three days off. We got four days on and three days on and repeat. My …read more