Former West Indies batsman Basil Butcher passed away after prolonged illness, Cricket West Indies (CWI) confirmed on Tuesday. He was 86.
“Sad news for the West Indies Cricket Family. Former Guyana and West Indies batsman Basil Butcher died earlier today (Monday) in Florida, according to his son Basil Butcher jr.,” CWI said in a tweet.
Butcher, who made his Test debut in 1958 against India, played 44 Tests for the West Indies, amassing 3104 runs with seven centuries and 16 fifties at 43. He was the first person of Amerindian descent to represent the West Indies.
He is best remembered for his knocks in England — 133 at Lord’s in 1963 and 209 not out in Nottingham in 1966. In India, Butcher had scored 486 runs at 69.42, including centuries at Calcutta (now Kolkata) and Madras (now Chennai).
Butcher was also an occasional leg-spinner. He took five Test wickets, all in one innings — 5/ 34 against England at the Port-of-Spain in 1967-8. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1970.
