Basil Butcher
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| Full name | Basil Fitzherbert Butcher | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | September 3, 1933 Port Mourant, British Guiana (now Guyana) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right hand bat | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right arm leg break | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Basil Fitzherbert Butcher (born September 3, 1933, Port Mourant, British Guiana (now Guyana)) is a former West Indian cricketer who played in 44 Tests from 1958 to 1969. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1970.
Basil Butcher was a wristy batsman and was a consistent number 4 and 5 in the West Indies side. He made an immediate impact on the international scene with 64 not out on debut against India in 1958-59 and finishing with 486 runs at 69.42. He struggled until the 1963 tour of England, where he rediscovered his form by making 383 runs which included an innings of 133 from a team total of just 229, helping the West Indies to a draw at Lord's. The innings became legendary because during the interval he had received news through a letter that his wife had had a miscarriage back home in Guyana.
Butcher was an occasional legspinner. He took 5 Test wickets which all came in the one innings, 5 for 34 against England at Port-of-Spain in 1967-68.
Series
Butcher was part of the West Indian side in the following series:
- West Indian cricket team in India in 1958-59 - 5 Tests
- West Indian cricket team in Pakistan in 1958-59 - 3 Tests
- English cricket team in West Indies in 1959-60 - 2 Tests
- West Indian cricket team in England in 1963 - 5 Tests
- Australian cricket team in West Indies in 1964-65 - 5 Tests
- West Indian cricket team in England in 1966 - 5 Tests
- West Indian cricket team in India in 1966-67 - 3 Tests
- English cricket team in West Indies in 1967-68 - 5 Tests
- West Indian cricket team in Australia in 1968-69 - 5 Tests
- West Indian cricket team in New Zealand in 1968-69 - 3 Tests
- West Indian cricket team in England in 1969 - 3 Tests