Ian King

Who is Ian King?

Ian Harold King is a former Australian first-class cricketer, one of only a handful of Indigenous Australians to have played first-class cricket.

Born one of ten children in Brisbane, Queensland, King was a successful junior basketballer and professional welterweight boxer who won 28 of 32 fights under the name "Young Rainbow" before turning to cricket.

A right-arm fast bowler and right-handed batsman, King started playing for Sydney club Bankstown before returning to Queensland where he continued to impress with his express pace bowling in grade cricket, leading to his first-class debut for Queensland, against Western Australia at the Brisbane Cricket Ground on 31 October 1969. The first Aboriginal to play for Queensland since Eddie Gilbert in 1936, King opened the bowling, taking 1/27 and 2/59.

On 7 December 1969, King became the first Indigenous Australian to play List A cricket, taking 5/33 against New South Wales. It was to be King's only List A match, leaving him with the impressive List A bowling average of 6.60.

Considered to be the fastest bowler to represent Queensland since Wes Hall, King was a popular figure with young fans and would spend lunch breaks after a session in the field signing autographs rather than resting.