The first In the Zone Sport and Politics evenings at the Waterloo Gardens Tea Room with Henry Olonga as guest speaker was a resounding success.

In a week that has witnessed further revelations about the problems of cricket in Pakistan, former Zimbabwe Test Cricketer Henry Olonga spoke with immense passion about the betrayal of his country by Robert Mugabe a self-confessed cricket fanatic.

Promoting his book Blood, Sweat and Treason, a chronicle of his early life, cricketing career, and subsequent life in England following the Black Armband Protest, Henry read two exerts from his book, took questions for forty five minutes on a broad range of subjects and concluded the evening with a treat, a rendition of one verse of You Raise Me Up.

Reading his work with immense passion, Henry recounted the episodes when the initial discussions took place between himself, co-protestor Andy Flower and businessman Nigel Huff regarding how best to demonstrate displeasure with the behaviour of the Mugabe regime responsible for widespread poverty, hunger, human rights abuses and severe repression. In choosing not to embrace the option of a team boycott, as it would be too difficult to get the agreement of all players, Henry detailed the move towards the Black Armband Protest.

The second reading focused on the drama of the day the protest was conducted, paying particular attention to the statement released to the media after the coin toss at the start of the group match against Namibia and the reaction of his colleagues, and team management. Too often in the coverage and subsequent analysis of the protest, attention to the detail of the statement drafted by David Coltart (now Zimbabwe Minister for Sport) is overlooked, yet it is this statement that reveals the humanity and sensitivity of Henry Olonga and Andy Flower who made a brave stand.

Henry is one of that exclusive breed, a sportsperson living outside the bubble, willing to speak his mind on matters that he believes to be important. Having taken the greatest of risks he is now telling his story, educating many on the excesses of the Mugabe era and building a new life as an educator, missionary, artist, singer and video maker. As a speaker he received the ultimate complement of not being able to meet the demands for his book. from an audience consisting of both cricket lovers and political activists. As I write, copies of the book are winging their way to expectant readers.