Legendary West Indies spinner Sonny Ramadhin passes away aged 92; CWI pays tribute

Former West Indies cricketer Sonny Ramadhin passed away on Sunday at the age of 92. The legendary spinner was first of many West Indies cricketers of Indian origin. Cricket West Indies (CWI) has paid tribute to Ramadhin on its official website. CWI President Ricky Skerritt expressed sympathy to the friends and family of Ramadhin. "Today we salute Sonny Ramadhin for his outstanding contribution to West Indies cricket," the CWI statement read. 

"On behalf of CWI, I want to express our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Sonny Ramadhin, one of the great pioneers of West Indies cricket. Mr. Ramadhin made an impact from the moment he first stepped onto the field of World Cricket. Many stories are told of his tremendous feats on the 1950 tour when he combined with Alf Valentine to form cricket’s ‘spin twins’ as West Indies conquered England away from home for the first time," CWI President Ricky Skerritt said in a statement. 

"This iconic tour is part of our rich cricket legacy, which was pioneered by Mr. Ramadhin and others of his generation. His English exploit was celebrated in a famous calypso – and is still remembered more than 70 years later. Today we salute Sonny Ramadhin for his outstanding contribution to West Indies cricket," Skerritt added. 

Ramadhin's stats

Ramadhin gained prominence in international cricket during his maiden tour of England in the 1950s, where he along with Alf Valentine dominated the tracks and picked 59 wickets between them to help West Indies win the series 3-1. Ramadhin picked 11 wickets for 152 runs in the historic win at Lords, which was also West Indies' first-ever Test match victory in England. 

Ramadhin, who made his Test debut at Old Trafford in 1950, played 43 matches for his country and picked 158 wickets at an average of 28.98. Ramadhin played 184 first-class matches and scalped 758 wickets at an average of 20.24. He moved to England after taking retirement from the sport in the late 1960s. 

Image: CWI