‘Proud pioneer’ Butcher dies

MIAMI, United States (CMC):

Great former West Indies batsman Basil Butcher passed away here Monday following a long battle with illness.

The 86-year-old, considered the first player of Amerindian descent to represent West Indies, featured in 44 Tests between 1958 and 1969, scoring 3,104 runs at an average of 43.11.

A stylish right-hander, Butcher made seven hundreds – the highest being an unbeaten 209 against England at Trent Bridge in 1966, when Sir Garfield Sobers’ side trounced the hosts by 139 runs in the third Test of the five-match series.

His defiant 133 at Lord’s three years earlier also stood out, as it propped up a West Indies second innings wrecked by legendary fast-bowler Fred Trueman, ensuring the Caribbean side earned a draw in the second Test.

In a statement yesterday, Cricket West Indies President Ricky Skerritt hailed Butcher as a “legend and a proud pioneer”.

“He … became part of a prolific West Indies batting line-up that excited world cricket and brought great joy and pride to Guyanese and West Indian people everywhere,” Skerritt said.

“West Indies cricket has lost a legend and a proud pioneer. After his illustrious playing days, he served both West Indies and Guyana cricket selflessly off the field in administration.”

Butcher, the son of a Barbadian father and Guyanese mother of Amerindian descent, made his West Indies debut at age 25 on the tour of India – along with now legendary fast-bowler Sir Wes Hall – and immediately stormed to prominence with back-to-back hundreds in the third and fourth Tests in Chennai and Kolkata, respectively.

He finished the five-Test series with 486 runs at an average of 69 and went on to be one of the ­leading batsmen in the subsequent tour of Pakistan.

Following his playing career, Butcher served as a West Indies selector, worked in the private sector and also ran a small business.

He is survived by his wife Pamela and children Brian, Bruce, Basil Jr and Blossom.