Alviro Petersen

A stylish top-order batsman, Alviro Petersen is a former South African cricketer who plays domestic cricket for Highveld Lions and in England for Lancashire. Predominantly a red-ball player, he was more suited as an opener in Test cricket.

The Port Elizabeth-born made his ODI debut as far back as 2006 against Zimbabwe and then had to wait another two years for another chance on the tour to Bangladesh in 2008. It looked as though he might never gain regular international recognition until he scored almost 1 400 first-class runs during the 2008-09 season. After a spectacular domestic season, his weight of runs earned him a Test debut against India. No doubt inspired by the occasion he became the third Protea to score a century on Test debut after Andrew Hudson and Jacques Rudolph. 

Alviro and Graeme Smith formed a solid and dependable opening partnership for the Proteas until the Cape Province-based cricketer had to make way for Jacques Rudolph at the start of the 2011/12 season. However, after an impressive domestic season, he got a callback and played a career-defining inning of 182 in the second Test against England at Headingly in 2012. After a few years at the top level, he lost the momentum he was replaced by Hashim Amla.

Petersen announced his retirement from international cricket in January 2015 and made his way to England to play county cricket with Lancashire. In November 2016, he was charged with match-fixing. However, he rubbished the allegations and denied the charges.

(As of April 2021)