West Indies legend Sir Clyde Walcott was one of the greatest cricketers of all time, but he was also an important administrator and activist. This first biography offers a detailed examination of his extraordinary life and achievements.

Introduction1 Early years and first-class cricket2 West Indies hero3 India, Enfield and the Hutton tour4 To British Guiana5 Reaching a peak - and retirement6 Steering West Indies to greatness7 ICC and beyond8 An assessmentTimelineStatisticsNotesBibliographyIndex

An essential biography of a cricketing great, exploring his achievements as a player, manager and political activist.This ground-breaking biography of Sir Clyde Walcott explores the extraordinary life and achievements of a man who was both an important activist and one of the greatest cricketers of all time.In the 1950s Walcott was part of the legendary ‘three Ws’ batting triumvirate with Everton Weekes and Frank Worrell that helped give West Indies cricket a new identity distinct from its colonial past. After test cricket he became a prominent administrator and advocate of Black consciousness, managing the great West Indies teams that dominated the sport in the 1980s. A vocal supporter of using cricket to apply pressure to the South African apartheid regime, in 1992 he became chairman of the International Cricket Council – the first Black man in that influential role.Shining a light on Walcott’s largely ignored part in effecting change through the vehicle of cricket, this book also shows how he contributed to dramatic social transformation in Guyana as cricket and social organiser for the country’s sugar estates from 1954 to 1970, bringing about improvements in the living conditions and self-esteem of plantation workers while promoting the emergence of several world-class cricketers from a previously neglected corner of the Caribbean.

‘Peter Mason’s book gives us a timely reminder of the huge impact that Clyde Walcott, who often seems to be the least celebrated of the “three Ws”, had both on and off the field. It is also a fascinating exploration of how the West Indies came to dominate the game for so long at the end of the twentieth century. A wonderfully crisp, concise account of a great West Indian’s contribution to the game.’Vic Marks, journalist and former England cricketer‘Authoritative, accessible and insightful. A must-have for anyone interested in this crucial era of the West Indian game, written by an author with a profound understanding of his subject.’Simon Lister, author of Fire in Babylon: How the West Indies Cricket Team Brought a People to its Feet'A lucid, accessible and necessary work on a towering personality not only in West Indies cricket but in the sport universally.'Clem Seecharan, author of Joe Solomon and the Spirit of Port Mourant‘Peter Mason has written a worthy and essential assessment of one of the most consequential figures in West Indies cricket history.’Simon Wilde, author of The Tour: The Story of the England Cricket Team Overseas'Mason paints a rich picture of Walcott’s on-field success.'Franklin Nelson, TLS'This book is worthy recognition of a life well-lived and a man of considerable and deserved reputation. Highly recommended.' Steve Dolman, Derbyshire County Cricket Club