Clyde Walcott
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Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Clyde Leopold Walcott | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Saint Michael, Barbados | 17 January 1926|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 26 August 2006 Barbados | (aged 80)|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowling | Right-arm fast-medium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Role | Wicket-keeper | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National side | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Test debut (cap 58) | 21 January 1948 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last Test | 31 March 1960 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1941–1956 | Barbados | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1954–1964 | British Guiana | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Source: CricketArchive, 8 January 2009 |
Sir Clyde Leopold Walcott
Early and private life
Walcott was born in
He married Muriel Ashby in 1951. They had two sons together. His brother, Keith Walcott, and a son, Michael Walcott, both played first-class cricket for Barbados.
Cricketing career
Walcott first played first-class cricket for Barbados in 1942, as a 16-year-old schoolboy. He made his first impression in February 1946, when, on a matting wicket, he scored 314 not out for Barbados against Trinidad as part of an unbroken stand of 574 for the fourth wicket with schoolfriend Frank Worrell (255 not out), setting a world record for any partnership in first-class cricket that remains a record in the West Indies.
He played his first Test in January 1948, the drawn 1st Test against England at Bridgetown. Powerfully built, weighing 15 stone and 6"2' tall, he was an accomplished strokeplayer. From a crouched stance, he was particularly strong off the back foot, and quick to cut, drive or pull. Despite his height, Walcott also kept wicket for his country in his first 15 Tests, his versatility enabling to retain his position in the side despite some poor batting performances in his first few matches. By the time a back injury forced him to relinquish the gloves, his batting had improved sufficiently to enable him to keep his place. He became a good slip fielder, and was an occasional fast-medium bowler.
In 1950, his unbeaten 168 in the second innings of the 2nd Test at Lord's helped the team to its first Test victory, and ultimately first series win in England, assisted by the spin bowling of Sonny Ramadhin and Alf Valentine. He scored a century in both innings of two Tests in the series against Australia in 1955, when he became the first batsman to score five centuries in a single Test series, totalling 827 runs from 10 innings. He was dismissed for a duck only once in Tests, lbw to Ray Lindwall in the 1st Test against Australia at Brisbane in 1951.
He played for Enfield in the Lancashire League from 1951 to 1954, and moved to Georgetown in Guyana (then British Guiana) in 1954, to be the cricket coach for the British Guiana Sugar Producers' Association. He also played first-class cricket for British Guiana, and by 1956 he was captaining the side. In retirement, he returned to Barbados in 1970.
He was a
Retirement
Walcott retired from playing Test cricket in 1960. His early retirement from international cricket was attributed by many to his dissatisfaction with West Indian cricket politics relating to the captaincy, but he himself attributed it to disputes over pay. He retired from first-class cricket in 1964. He was awarded the OBE in 1966 for services to cricket in Barbados, Guyana and the West Indies.
In retirement, he had an active career as a cricket administrator. He managed and coached various cricket teams, and was later a cricket commentator in Barbados. He was President of the Guyana Cricket Board of Control from 1968 to 1970, and then a vice-president of the Barbados Cricket Association. He was chairman of the West Indies selectors from 1973 to 1988, and managed the West Indies teams that won the Cricket World Cup in 1975 and 1979, and also in 1987. He was president of the
He ended his career at the ICC. He was an
When
He published two autobiographies, Island Cricketers in 1958 and Sixty Years on the Back Foot in 1999. After Walcott's death, Michael Holding, the former West Indian fast bowler who made his debut when Walcott was manager, said: "Another good man gone – he is not only a West Indies legend but a legend of the world."[4]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/Clyde_Walcott_Graph.png/350px-Clyde_Walcott_Graph.png)
Notes
- ^ Obituary in The Daily Telegraph.
- ^ LG ratings graph for Walcott.
- Sunday Telegraph, 14 May 2006.
- ^ Tribute to Sir Clyde Walcott
References
- Obituary, Cricinfo, 27 August 2006
- Obituary, BBC News, 26 August 2006
- Obituary, The Daily Telegraph, 28 August 2006
- Obituary, The Times, 28 August 2006
- Obituary, The Guardian, 28 August 2006
- Obituary, The Independent, 28 August 2006
- Windies mourn Test great Walcott, BBC News, 26 August 2006
- Official Release from Barbados Cricket Association, BCA Website, 26 August 2006
- Sir Clyde Walcott Tribute