John Rennie (cricketer)

John Alexander Rennie (born July 29, 1970, Masvingo) is a former Zimbabwean cricketer who played in 4 Tests and 44 ODIs from 1993 to 2000. He used to wear prescription spectacles. As a fast-medium swing bowler, selected mainly for one-day matches, he always played with the utmost heart and enthusiasm, and often took early wickets for Zimbabwe. He was also a useful batsman and good fielder. He was never selected for any of the national age-group teams, and it took him some years to become a regular in his school first team, but he progressed steadily through club cricket to the national side. Born in Masvingo, he grew up in Harare but later moved to Matabeleland for business reasons. Business and family pressures, as well as disillusionment with the situation in Zimbabwe cricket, eventually caused him to fade out of the game in about 2002.

Although he was never a genuine wicket taking bowler, it must be said that John Rennie always made use of whatever ability he had. Never possessed with the pace of Heath Streak or the nip of Eddo Brandes, Rennie swung the ball both ways and has a very impressive slower ball, all of which contributed towards his success and his brief international career in the red.

He will always be remembered as a man who was an average cricketer, but a tough competitor. He arguably brought out the stereo typical Zimbabwean Cricketer; not the most talented, not the most flamboyant, but hard working, tough, physically/psychologically strong and one of the best fielders in the game. If he were to be playing today, T20 cricket would swallow him up as he is exactly what the format needs. A bowler of relative pace who swings the ball both ways.

His younger brother, Gavin, also played for Zimbabwe. The pair playing in the same Test team in 1997.