Adam Parore: Safe hands and a head for numbers

Adam Parore shall long be remembered among New Zealand's gifted wicketkeepers and the most consistent ones to have played the game. A safe pair of hands behind the stumps, Parore would more often than not contribute valuably with the bat too.

Among the records Parore holds include the first Maori to represent New Zealand in cricket and one for the highest One-Day International innings score without a boundary (96 versus India). And while the latter might not be regarded by many as an achievement in current times, it sure reflects Parore's grit at the wicket.

Always conscious about fitness, Parore sometimes even jogged back home after a day on the field. After an international career that lasted for 12 years, Parore turned to the world of finance post retirement. He floated a firm called Adam Parore Mortgages soon after his cricketing days were behind him.

A cricketer who was known to have had a few run-ins with the establishment, Parore was never somebody to go down without a fight. 'Adam Parore Mortgages' then become three words to be quite wary of when put together.

And when not busy dealing with numbers, Parore is busy scaling other heights. Yet another first to his credit is being the only cricketer to have scaled the Mount Everest, a feat he achieved in 2011.