desmond haynes

Think of him and you see Kensington Oval, sundrenched, and a broad smile as he beat out another century. Happiness pervaded his cricket but it was joy underpinned by a ruthless streak best illustrated by the cynical way in which, on his captaincy debut, he used delaying tactics to deny England a win in Trinidad in 1989-90. You did not become as good as he was by being a softie. His batting possessed a solid muscularity and allround nature to it, and while he was capable of destructive innings, he tended, in opening partnerships anyway, towards acting as counterpoint to Gordon Greenidge’s belligerent strokeplay. At his best against pace, like most West Indians, he nonetheless showed the technique and diligence to score 75 and 143 in a rare West Indies defeat on a dustbowl at Sydney in 1988-89.
Mike Selvey