da bwin： Following the death of Clyde Walcott, the former legendary West Indies batsman, tributes have been pouring in
da bet nacional： Cricinfo staff26-Aug-2006Following the death of Clyde Walcott, the former legendary West Indies batsman, tributes have been pouring in
‘Clyde had a powerful physique and his batting was based on power and strength’ – Everton Weekes on Walcott © The Cricketer International
“Clyde had a powerful physique and his batting was based on power and strength. I first met him when we were about 11-years-old. We lived pretty close to each other and played together for many years. He hit the ball harder than any of us. Whenever I batted with him I enjoyed it and we had some great times together on and off the field. He was a pretty quiet person but would always find time to talk to you and find out what was going on. He was a great man, a great friend, and a great cricketer. We have lost a great man . . . I have lost a great friend.”
Everton Weekes, the sole survivor of the three Ws“On my first tour to England in 1976 he was my manager and he helped me a lot early in my career. I can give you one example of what Clyde was like. On that tour we’d played against Hampshire and I wasn’t very happy. I didn’t have the best equipment for English conditions, my studs were too short, and I was feeling sorry for myself. Clyde could see this because I sat at the back of the coach on my own and he just came up and sat down next to me – just to have a chat.After I’d told him the problem he suggested a talk to some the county pros and find out about how to get some new equipment. That was Clyde, he wouldn’t wait for you to ask him, he would approach you and try to help.”
Former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding“He has been one of our greatest ambassadors. Clyde has always been a dominant individual as far as West Indies cricket is concerned. He will be a great loss indeed.”
Former West Indies offspinner Lance Gibbs“Sir Clyde was one of my closest personal friends and he will be remembered for his unique contribution as a player, coach, commentator and administrator.””Sir Clyde’s achievements as a selector, manager, board member, president of the West Indies cricket Board and the top administrator of cricket at the International Cricket Council (ICC) were outstanding – accomplishments that have brought great joy and pride to the hearts of most West Indians. No other West Indies player can come close to Sir Clyde in that regard.””We are greatly saddened by the news of the death of Sir Clyde. As well as remembering his contribution in 1950 to developing our passion for the game as schoolboys, we are particularly indebted to him as it was he who was the chairman of the ICC when we made our first presentations on the Duckworth/Lewis method ten years ago and his belief that revised targets should be fair to both sides was undoubtedly an important factor in our method becoming established. Since then we had the pleasure of meeting him on a number of occasions and got to know him as a kind and gentle man who would never miss an opportunity to be involved in the game. We especially remember how he honoured us with his presence at a lunch following a presentation we made to West Indian umpires and scorers in Barbados in 2004.”
“This news has saddened me greatly as cricket has not only lost a legend but also someone who devoted his life to the betterment of our great game. I never saw him play but people whose opinions I value have confirmed his greatness to me and his figures, with a Test average of more than 56 runs per innings, mean he will rightly be remembered as a giant on the field. As an administrator Sir Clyde was thoughtful and conciliatory and cricket in my homeland of South Africa owes him an enormous debt because he was instrumental in ensuring our return to the international fold in 1991.
“He was not only one of the greatest-ever post-War cricketers but also one of the finest people I have ever had the opportunity of working with. He took over as ICC Chairman at a critical time in the history of the organisation [the ICC’s first chief executive, David Richards, was appointed in the same year, 1993] and he succeeded in not only keeping it together but also enhancing it. Sir Clyde played a crucial role in shaping the ICC and for that, together with his lifetime of service to cricket, he has earned the unending thanks of a grateful game.”
“Sir Clyde Walcott was a good friend and a great Chairman of ICC. He was a true gentleman who was highly adept at calming troubled waters. He was a gentle but decisive man for whom cricket always came first and his own ego last. Throughout his impressive career he received tremendous support from his wife Muriel and my thoughts are with Muriel and the family at this sad time.”
“I don’t think he ever shied away from helping some young cricketer. I think that his presence would have inspired a lot of these players. I never really played with Sir Clyde per se. I was involved in some trials in 1957 in Trinidad and I think that Clyde captained one of the sides that I was playing in but that’s the nearest that I got to him on the cricket field. But afterwards, some of my fondest memories were sitting in selection meetings with him and probably afterwards when we had done the job, sitting with him and Lady Muriel (Sir Clyde’s wife), having a drink or two and discussing cricket. We sometimes incurred the wrath of Lady Muriel with some selections we might have made that she didn’t agree with.”
“Sir Clyde was an inspiration to many South African cricketers as a magnificent batsman, fierce opponent of apartheid in sport, and latterly as a most valued ally of unified cricket in South Africa.As a player, he was instrumental in changing the face of West Indies cricket and helped revolutionise world cricket which had then been very much a colonial sport. As president of West Indies Cricket and later as ICC president, Sir Clyde was particularly helpful in assisting the United Cricket Board of South Africa forge a new future for South African cricket after its formation in 1991. Cricket South Africa will always be grateful for the role he played in this regard, and our history will certainly record this.”
