There is bad news for the West Indies team ahead of the second ODI to be played in Visakhapatnam. Former Caribbean batsman Basil Butcher died after a long illness. A statement from Cricket West Indies said on Tuesday, that ’86-year-old Guyana batsman Butcher died in Florida on Monday, who was born in village of Port Mourant, in British Guiana.
Basil Butcher was the first Amerindian to play for the West Indies. Australia’s great cricketer Richie Benaud believed, ‘it was extremely difficult to dismiss Basil Butcher’. He was the life of the Middle Order of the West Indies in the 60s. He scored 3104 runs in 44 Tests for the West Indies at an average of 43.11.
Butcher has seven Test centuries to his name and a total of 31 centuries in first class career. This right-handed batsman scored the highest 1373 Test runs against England in his career. Basil had scored the most three centuries against Australia, two centuries and three half-centuries against India.
Butcher, who was a part-time leg spinner, scored 34 runs against England at Port of Spain with 5 wickets. He was also awarded the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1970. Apart from cricket, he also did many other things.
Image Credit: ICC
