Jo Angel, is a former Australian right-arm medium-fast bowler who appeared in 4 Test matches and 3 ODI’s between 1993 till 1995. He was born on 22 April 1968 in Mount Lawley, Perth, Western Australia. A 6ft 6in tall fast bowler took 485 first-class wickets under his belt, including 445 wickets for Western Australia.
After an impressive domestic performance in the 1992-93 season, he made his Test debut at his home ground against West India on the bouncy track of Perth WACA in 1993. This was the 5th Test match of the series. One of his fiery balls hit the face of opening batsman of West Indies Desmond Haynes, who eventually retire hurt.
He took 1 for 73 in the first innings, however, West Indies won the match by innings and 25 runs. Later, he wishes to have Inzi’s plumb LBW decision, as Pakistan clinch the series 1-0 at Karachi for a famous last-wicket partnership of Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mushtaq Ahmad. In 1995, he was recalled playing a Test for Australia in the 5th Test match of the Ashes series at Perth WACA, ground. He took 3 for 65 in the first innings and didn’t get any wickets in 2nd innings, where he just bowled 3 overs. This Test becomes his final match for Australia and never comes back.
He was part of the Australian team, who toured Sri Lanka in 1994 for the Singer World Series ODI tournament. In the humid and hot weather, he could not get big success there, hence he did not bowl well and was dropped after that. He made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka at Colombo in the 5th Match, Sep 13, 1994, and took 1 for 29 in 7 overs, and grab the wicket of Sanath Jayasuriya.
Jo Angel carries the Western Australia bowling burden and holds the 4th leading career wickets record for WA. Thus, in July 2000, being awarded the Australian Sports Medal to serve Western Australia as the all-time greatest wicket-takers. Jo Angel was the only bowler to take 400 or more wickets in the Sheffield Shield.
