ICC Presidents past and present pay tribute to Sir Clyde Walcott

International Cricket Council (ICC) Presidents past and present have lined up to pay tribute to former ICC Chairman and West Indies cricketing great Sir Clyde Walcott, who passed away on Saturday, aged 80.

Sir Clyde succeeded Lord Cowdrey of Tonbridge as ICC Chairman in 1993 and held the post for four years before he was succeeded by Jagmohan Dalmiya of India when the role became known as President.

Sir Clyde is one of only six men in history to have headed to game's world governing body, along with Lord Cowdrey, Mr Dalmiya, Malcolm Gray, Ehsan Mani and current ICC President Percy Sonn.

On learning of Sir Clyde's passing, Mr Sonn said: "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 and his wife Muriel have been close friends to me and Sandra, my wife, for more than 15 years and I would like to take this opportunity to pass on my heartfelt condolences to Muriel and their family at this time."

Mr Sonn's immediate predecessor as ICC President, Ehsan Mani, was also glowing in his tributes for Sir Clyde.

"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," said Mr Mani.

"He took over as ICC Chairman at a critical time in the history of the organization (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."

Malcolm Gray of Australia preceded Mr Mani as ICC President, from 2000 - 2003, and he, too, paid Sir Clyde a generous tribute.

"Sir Clyde Walcott was a good friend and a great Chairman of the ICC. He was a true gentleman who was highly adept at calming troubled waters," said Mr Gray.

"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."

India's Jagmohan Dalmiya, ICC President from 1997 - 2000, offered heartfelt praise for Sir Clyde.

"Sir Clyde Walcott was a great cricketer and an equally great administrator and he provided tremendous leadership to the ICC," said Mr Dalmiya.

"He was highly respected around the world and he was not only a fellow administrator but a personal friend. It was with great sadness that I received news of his passing, may God give peace to his soul."

Clyde Walcott's Test career spanned 12 years, from 1948 - 1960, during which time he played 44 matches. A tall, powerfully built right-hander, he scored 3798 runs at 56.68.

Only 12 individuals in the history of the game among those who have played 20 or more innings can boast a better Test batting average.

He was part of a golden era for West Indies batting, joining forces with fellow Barbados players Frank Worrell and Everton Weekes in the middle order, the famous "Three Ws" that terrorized attacks all over the world.

Clyde Walcott's outstanding series was against Len Hutton's MCC side of 1954 when he scored 698 runs at 87.25 including three hundreds and three fifties with his highest Test score of 220 coming in that series at his home ground, the Kensington Oval.

Clyde Walcott started his Test career as a wicketkeeper-batsman and spent his first 15 matches at the top level behind the stumps before relinquishing the gloves to concentrate on his batting, something he did to telling effect.

He was named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1958, received an OBE in 1966 and was knighted in 1994. He also served as an ICC match referee in 1992, officiating in three Tests between England and Pakistan.

Sir Clyde served as President of the West Indies Cricket Board and both his brother, Keith, and son, Michael, also played first-class cricket.