It looked as if Kenyan seamer Lameck Onyango was destined to be one of international cricket's less successful performers. In five one-day internationals between 1995-96 and 2002 he took one wicket for 130, all the while conceding runs at the startling rate of 9.62 per over. A bizarre metamorphosis then occurred. By the time of the ICC Trophy in 1997, Onyango had been assigned a new role: specialist tail-ender. He played in four matches and did not bowl in any of them, batting down the order except for one match in which he was promoted to No. 2. Not quite mastering the art of pinch-hitting, he compiled a boundary-less 25-ball 13. He was surprisingly recalled to face Australia in September 2002, this time as a specialist No. 11 - and again he didn't bowl. He missed Kenya's World Cup campaign of 2003, but was recalled for the Champions Trophy in 2004, although he didn't play. Then in January 2007 he was recalled to the squad, played a handful of games, twice taking three-fors, and played two matches in the World Cup, albeit without great success.

Cricinfo staff April 2007