Willie Donald

William Alexander Donald
Born	(1953-07-29) 29 July 1953 Huntly, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Died	13 November 2022(2022-11-13) (aged 69) Edinburgh, Scotland
Occupation(s)	Cricketer, cricket official, banker, executive coach
Known for	Scottish cricketer; interim chief executive and president of Cricket Scotland; president of Aberdeenshire Cricket Club

William Alexander Donald (29 July 1953 – 13 November 2022) was a notable Scottish cricketer and cricket official. A right-handed batsman and right-arm medium bowler, Donald represented the Scotland national cricket team in eight first-class matches and 32 List A games. Professionally, he pursued a banking career, spending eleven years in London before returning to Scotland to reengage with cricket. In 2015, he took on the role of interim chief executive at Cricket Scotland and later served as its president from 2018 until 2020. Additionally, he was president of Aberdeenshire Cricket Club starting in 2019.

Early life and playing career

Born in July 1953 in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, Donald attended local schools including The Gordon Schools, followed by studies at the University of Aberdeen, where he also played as a striker for the university’s football team, Aberdeen University F.C.. His cricket journey began with Huntly Cricket Club before progressing to Aberdeenshire Cricket Club.

Donald made his first-class debut for Scotland against Ireland in Glasgow in 1978. Over his career, he appeared in eight first-class fixtures—all versus Ireland through to 1986—accumulating 221 runs at an average of 20.09, with a highest score of 45. As a bowler, he claimed five wickets, his best bowling figures being three for 17.

In limited-overs cricket, Donald participated in Scotland’s inaugural List A match against Leicestershire during the 1980 Benson & Hedges Cup and was part of Scotland’s first one-day triumph over Lancashire at Perth in the 1986 Benson & Hedges Cup. He played in a total of 32 List A matches up to 1987 across the Benson & Hedges Cup and NatWest Trophy competitions, scoring 492 runs at an average of 15.37. His List A batting highlights include two half-centuries, with a top score of 59 achieved against Northamptonshire in 1985.

During the winter months, Donald also competed in Highland League football for clubs such as Huntly, Fraserburgh, and Peterhead. Simultaneously, he developed his banking career beginning in the 1970s with CitiBank in Aberdeen before relocating to London for over ten years.

Later life and administration

Following twelve years playing club cricket for Aberdeenshire—including four seasons as captain—Donald spent eleven years living in London, where he played for Teddington Cricket Club. His banking profession brought him back to Scotland in 1995, after which he joined West Lothian Cricket Club. In 2015, he was appointed interim chief executive of Cricket Scotland, subsequently holding the presidency from 2018 through 2020. In 2019, Donald succeeded David Hays as president of Aberdeenshire Cricket Club, a period during which international matches returned to Mannofield Park.

Donald voiced his views regarding the investigation into alleged racism within Scottish cricket initiated in 2022, recalling that as interim CEO he managed the suspension of Majid Haq during the 2015 World Cup. He asserted that Haq’s suspension related to fitness concerns rather than racial issues.

Outside of cricket administration, Donald ran a boutique executive coaching firm specializing in performance enhancement and organizational transformation. After battling cancer during his final months, he resigned from his role as Aberdeenshire Cricket Club president shortly before passing away on 13 November 2022 in Edinburgh, aged 69.