00:00Desmond Haynes born on 15 February 1956 in Barbados.
00:04He is one of the greatest opening baseman to ever represent the West Indies.
00:08A calm and composed cricketer, Desmond Haynes had a long and successful international career
00:15that spanned from 1978 to 1994.
00:18He was a key member of the West Indies Golden Era, playing a major role in their dominance.
00:23Especially in the one day former, Desmond Haynes was part of the 1979 World Cup winning team
00:30and played in four different World Cups 1979, 1983, 1987, and 1992.
00:37In the 1983 World Cup, he helped West Indies to reach the finals where they ended up as
00:43runner-up.
00:44In Test cricket, Desmond Haynes played 116 Test matches and scored 7,487 runs at an impressive
00:51average of 42.29.
00:54He registered 18th century with his highest score being 184, against England at Lourdes
00:59in 1980.
01:01What made Desmond Haynes stand out was his ability to anchor the innings.
01:05Unlike some of his more flamboyant teammates, Desmond Haynes was known for his controlled,
01:10measured batting.
01:11He would grind out runs when needed and accelerate when the time was right.
01:16One of his most unique aspects of his Test career was that he carried his bat through
01:21the innings three times, sometimes achieved by only one other player in Test history,
01:26Dean Elgar of South Africa.
01:28This shows his resilience and commitment, even when wicket falls around him.
01:33Interestingly, Desmond Haynes is also one of the very few players to have been dismissed
01:38handle the ball.
01:39An extremely rare wards of dismissal.
01:41This happened during a Test match against India on 24 November 1983.
01:46Early in his career Desmond Haynes had difficulty handling spin-balling.
01:50But over the time, he worked on his technique and became a reliable player of both pace
01:55and spin.
01:56A great example of this improvement came during the 1989 series in Australia, where he scored
02:0275 and 143 on a spinning Sydney cricket ground pitch, helping West Indies maintain their dominance.
02:09Desmond Haynes made an unforgettable entrance in Wonder International.
02:14On his ODI debut in 1978 against Australia, he smashed 148 runs, which is still the highest
02:21score by any player on ODI debut.
02:24It remains a record even today.
02:25This innings also included the fastest century on debut, and he won the Man of the Match award
02:31right away.
02:32In total, he played 238 ODIs, scoring 8,648 runs at an average of 41.37.
02:41He scored 17 ODI centuries, and his highest score was 152 not out against India in 1989.
02:48He was especially successful against Australia, against whom he scored 6 centuries, more than
02:54against any other team.
02:56Desmond Haynes also holds a unique record.
02:59Desmond Haynes is one of the only two cricketers in history to have scored centuries in both
03:03their first and last ODI matches.
03:06The other players to achieve this rare feat is England Dennis Amis.
03:10In World Cups, Desmond Haynes featured in 25 matches, scoring 854 runs at an average of
03:1637.13, including one century and three fifties.
03:21Desmond Haynes shared the crease with fellow Barbarian Gordon Greenwich in what is widely regarded
03:26as one of the greatest opening partnerships in the history of cricket.
03:30Together, they gave the West Indies a strong foundation in countless matches, frustrating
03:35ballers with their solid defense and powerful stroke play.
03:39Their chemistry at the crease lasted for over a decade and was a key factor in West Indies'
03:44dominance during the 1980s.
03:46Desmond Haynes was also a star in fourth-class cricket.
03:49He played 95 matches for Middlesex in English county cricket, scoring 7,071 runs at an average
03:56of 49.1, with the best of 250 not out against Sussex.
04:01He was awarded the Middlesex county cap in 1989 and played at Lord's until 1994.
04:08Back home he played for Barbados featuring in 63 matches and scoring 4,843 runs at an average
04:15of 49.92.
04:16Later, he also played for the Western Province in South Africa, where he made 1,340 runs
04:24in 21 matches, with the best of 202 not out.
04:27Overall, in first-class cricket Desmond Haynes scored 26,030 runs at an average of 45.90,
04:35including 61 centuries.
04:37In 419 Lister matches, he scored 15,651 runs at an average of 42.07, with the top score
04:45of 152 not out.
04:47He won an incredible 55-time Man of the Match award across formats, which shows how often
04:53he made match-winning contributions.
04:55Although he was known for his calm demeanor, Desmond Haynes was not afraid to stand his ground.
05:01In the 1990 series against Australia, he had heated on-field exchanges with players like
05:06Ian Healy, Merv Hughes, Craig McDermott and David Boone, who even gave him the nickname
05:12Desi.
05:13He was also known for his using tactical delays to upset the opposition rhythm, most notably
05:18against England in the 1989-90 Test series.
05:22Desmond Haynes' contribution to cricket has been widely recognized.
05:26He was named Wisdom Cricketer of the Year in 1991.
05:29In 2021, he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
05:34The BBC and Trinidad and Tobago Guardian both regard him as one of the greatest players of
05:39all time.
05:40His style was praised for his timing, alicans and controlled power, making him a pillar in
05:46the West Indies lineup for nearly two decades.
05:48Desmond Haynes played his last first-class match in 1997 for Western Province, where he
05:53made 83 runs in the first inning and was dismissed for a tuck in the second.
05:58After retirement, he stayed active in cricket.
06:01He served as chairman of the selector for the Barbados Cricket Association, became president
06:06of the Carlton Cricket Club, and worked as secretary of the West Indies Players Association.
06:11He was also a government senator in Barbados and chairman of the National Sports Council.
06:16Outside of cricket, Desmond Haynes enjoyed playing golf to relax.
06:20A biography titled Lines of Barbados was published, celebrating his life and career.
06:25The title a clever play on his middle name, Leo.
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