As far as reputations go, former Zimbabwe international Guy Whittall is not the most well-known cricket player, active or otherwise. However, his career after retirement in 2003 has been far more colourful than his time on the field.
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On Thursday, news emerged that Whittall had been hospitalised after an attack by a leopard, while on a hunting expedition. He had to undergo emergency surgery in Harare after the incident.
What happened to Guy Whittall? Former Zimbabwe cricketer undergoes surgery after being mauled by leopard
The news broke when Whittall's wife, Hannah Stooks-Whittall posted a picture of him on Facebook, as he was being treated in the wild, ahead of surgery. She added that he had lost a lot of blood, and could have been in worse shape had it not been for his dog, Chikara, who helped tackle the leopard.
This is not Whittall's first brush with wildlife after his cricketing retirement, though. In 2013, he hit the headlines when he discovered a massive crocodile under the bed at his game reserve, as the creature made its way in from the nearby Turgwe river.
A seam-bowling all-rounder for the Zimbabwe national team, Whittall played 46 Test matches, scoring 2207 runs and picking up 51 wickets.
| Format | Matches | Runs | Wickets | Bat. Avg. | Bowl. Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 46 | 2207 | 51 | 29.4 | 40.9 |
| ODI | 147 | 2705 | 88 | 22.5 | 39.6 |
