KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Miller has expressed deep sympathies at the passing of cricket legend, Sir Clyde Walcott, the youngest of the immortal three ‘W’s, who along with Everton Weekes and Frank Worrel embedded their names in the annals of history of the game and elevated West Indies cricket to unprecedented heights.
The region has lost a great son and sports icon. But even as we grieve his passing, let us use this opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the life of one of our most prolific and outstanding batsman and wicketkeeper.
A native of Barbados, Sir Clyde has made an indelible mark on West Indies cricket exhibiting the greatness that lies within us, as Caribbean people.
In a test cricket career spanning 12 years, Sir Clyde played 44 test matches and made 3,798 runs, with 15 centuries. As one of the ‘W’ triumvirate, he placed the West Indies team on the map in their debut appearance against England in 1948, to become the first batsman to score five centuries in a single test series, in 1955, against Australia. Three of those five centuries were scored at Sabina Park.
At the youthful age of 20, he was to share with Worrell the highest West Indian first-class partnership for any wicket: an unbeaten 574 for the fourth wicket, which remains the record West Indian stand for any wicket partnership.
His versatility and skill were not limited to amazing batsmanship and wicket-keeping, as he went on to manage several West Indian teams in addition to being a commentator and coach. In fact, he is credited with discovering the likes of Butcher, Khani and Solomon while serving as a coach in Guyana.
Sir Clyde dedicated years of service to the sport in other areas including as President of the West Indian Cricket Board and as the first Black Chairman of the ICC. Indeed, his achievements at a time of unquestionable challenge in the 1950s and 60s contributed immeasurably to validating the argument that Caribbean peoples and nations could in fact be responsible for their own affairs, and excel in their chosen endeavours.
