Joshua Ogunlola is tall, lean and athletic. Behind a benign exterior Ogunlola is mean and Lethal with a cricket ball. His quiet nature masks and ultra-competitive spirit. Ogunlola is vicious and hostile with the cricket ball and very generous and loving of the field.
Joshua Ogunlola started his cricket career at the Ijemo-Titun High School, Abeokuta Ogun State where he formed a lethal partnership with Kunle Adegbola. He showed his early promise at the Howzat Foundation for cricket programmes and his association with Howzat further exposed him and brought him to Limelight.
He was a Howzat product through and through as he played and exceled at the Phillip Asiodu Trophy, the Stanbic Six-a-side tournament and Howzat Holiday Cricket Coaching Clinics. He was part of Howzat Team to tour London in 200 but eventually did not make the trip.
Ogunlola is a cricketer and loved the game. From the first day I saw him on the cricket field I knew he was a special talent. The question was not if he would play for The National Team, but when he would play for The National team. His cricket career path was smooth because of his attitude
and disposition. He worked hard on the training pitch and had a cricket mind. His bowling game plan was a repertoire of tactics and strategies with a razor-sharp bowling brain.
He bowled mean and miserly spells and gave nothing away. With an economical run-up he developed the ball that seamed away and the steep bounce. He was not a genuine quickie but used the seam and swing perfectly to achieve results. His bowling was tidy around the off-stump line and he reaped bags of wickets.
In 2008 at the WCL African Qualifier against Mozambique in South-Africa Ogunlola bowled Nigeria to Victory.
One of the greatest bowlers Nigeria has ever produced. Joshua Ogunlola started as a batsman with a century under his belt but ended his international career as one of the very best. Ogunlola was at his sublime best in his very first series in Zambia in 2004.He took 7 wickets and conceded only 19 runs in 10 overs against Tanzania at Lusaka South Cricket Club. He was unplayable on that day as he bowled jaffas every delivery. Joshua was one of the best players a coach can work with.
We developed his away-swinger which was a wicket-taker .He was easy to coach and relate with. A complete team man, Joshua was a prolific wicket- taker. At the local scene, he was virtually unplayable. As a person, I love him for his humility and modesty. I rate Joshua very highly and I am blessed to have worked with him as a Coach and Manager. I also bloodied him at the under- 19 in Namibia in 2003.I will never never forget this gentle great swinger of a cricket ball. As a person, he remains my friend till today.
Joshua never forgets his roots and Passarella (Olisa Egwuatu) who gave him his break.
