Richard De Souza dies aged 59

Richard De Souza - described by former Trinidad and Tobago captain Joey Carew as "one of the most technically sound cricketers to ever come out of Trinidad and Tobago" - died yesterday after a long battle with cancer.

Carew, who was De Souza's captain when he played for Queen's Park Cricket Club (QPCC) and for T&T, said that although his career as a player did not last very long (1964 to 1973) he made a tremendous impact both on and off the field.

De Souza helped T&T claim the regional Shell Shield title, in 1970 and 1971, under the captaincy of Carew.

"It was unfortunate that De Souza never made it in the West Indies team while having all the credentials to do so," Carew said, explaining that Alvin Kallicharan emerged around the same time and had some outstanding performances, which made it difficult for De Souza to break into the regional squad.

De Souza captained the St Mary's College cricket team, leading them to five Cadbury Cup titles. But cricket was not his only sport. De Souza also played football for St Mary's. He was nicknamed "the master distributor" but never took his football to a higher level, opting to develop himself as a cricketer. The decision paid off. In 1964, at the age of 15, De Souza made his national senior team debut. When De Souza left St Mary's, he continued to play cricket with QPCC.

"He was a very intelligent cricket person," Carew told the Express, "and coming from St Mary's, he had the background knowledge for cricket and leadership, and it placed him in a good position for his career."

Richard Gabriel, the former West Indies and T&T player, hailed De Souza for his "excellent technique". "He was a very good middle-order batsman and one of the game's best on-drivers. This was one of his hallmarks, with his head always directly positioned over the ball."

Gabriel lamented the fact that De Souza never made the regional squad, citing weight problems as a major factor. "He was a good captain and he also played table tennis but he had a hard trial with his physique."

Gabriel recalled De Souza putting on a fine display for a West Indies President's XI at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre, against an England team that included John Snow, one of that country's best fast bowlers in the 1960s. "He was the captain for the President's XI and he took on the English bowlers. Fast bowler Jeff Jones and seamer David Brown were also in the English squad, and De Souza handled them very well, making around 70 and helping the team hang on for a draw."

Following his retirement from the senior national team, in 1973, De Souza acted as CEO of Flavourite Ice-Cream and held administrative positions in local and regional cricket. Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) CEO Forbes Persaud said "De Souza was a great personality in the board room and on the field of play," and that his untimely death was a great loss. "The TTCB is very grateful and thankful for De Souza's dedication and service to cricket over the years and he will certainly be missed."