This Guyanese right-hander brought a mouth-watering brand of cavalier batting to the international stage, and for 16 years he was the corner stone in the West Indies batting line-up.

He emerged from the Port Mourant in British Guiana, and his batting brilliance was spotted by the local selectors, and this led to him being drafted into the national team.

He quickly made his mark and was penciled into the West Indies batting order in 1957, as a 21-year-old alongside several legends of that era.

In those days he was an emerging wicket-keeper, good enough to be given the gloves in his first three Test matches, but soon after he decided to concentrate solely on his batting skills. For the next two decades, Kanhai cemented a place in West Indies and world cricket history, with some of the most flamboyant batting displays of all time.

The West Indies came to rely on him more and more, and even though he didn't notch up his first Test ton until his 13th Test it was worth waiting for.

He hit a blazing 256 off the Indian attack in Calcutta as West Indies crushed their hosts by an innings and 336 runs. Kanhai followed this with 99 in the next Test as West Indies went on to win the series 3-0. Another double century followed on the same overseas tour, this time in Lahore as West Indies beat Pakistan by an innings.
In all, he scored 6,227 runs with 15 centuries, averaging 47.53 in 79 Test matches.

He was still around when One-Day Internationals were introduced in the 1970s and played seven ODIs making 164 runs, with a best knock of 55. This resolute innings was a major part in the West Indies winning the first World Cup final at Lord's.

He also gave outstanding service to Warwickshire in the English County Cricket Championship and in all first-class cricket he played 416 matches, making 28,774 runs, with a whopping 83 centuries.

Kanhai was appointed captain of the West Indies for the home series against Australia in 1973 and led the team on the tour to England the following summer. He enjoyed success, winning the three-Test series 2-0.

His contribution to the development of young players will also be remembered. After leaving the game in 1977, he went onto coach and was at the helm when Jamaica dominated regional cricket at senior and junior levels in the late 1980s and into the early 1990s.

He was appointed coach of the West Indies team in the 1990s, and formulated programmes for the progress of the team.

 

* NOTE: If Rohan Kanhai is selected to the Sticky Wicket Hall of Fame, he will join Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Everton Weekes, Sir Viv Richards, George Headley, Clive Lloyd, Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, Malcolm Marshall, Lance Gibbs, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Brian Lara, and Ridley Jacobs.