Roy Fredericks buried in Guyana

Former West Indies batsman Roy Clifton Fredericks jas been buried amid glowing tributes from politicians and Caribbean cricket greats.

"It is a sad day for West Indies cricket," David Holford, a former teammate of Fredericks' and a former West Indies chief selector, said during the funeral at St George's Anglican Cathedral in downtown Georgetown.

Fredericks, 57, died of throat cancer in New York last Tuesday.

"West Indies cricket today is in dire need of his ilk," said Roger Harper, the coach of the West Indies senior team.

Fredericks was born and raised in Blairmont, a sugar cane-farming community in eastern Guyana.

He played in 59 Test matches for the West Indies, scoring 4,133 runs and averaging 42.49 runs per innings.

He was most remembered for the 169 runs made against the mighty Australian team during a 1975-76 tour when he rattled off a century in 71 balls before the lunch interval.

The knock included 18 fours and a six, struck off the day's second ball, and lasted for three hours before he was dismissed.

Fredericks retired from cricket in the early 1980s but served as sports minister from 1980 to 1985.

The funeral was attended by President Bharrat Jagdeo and several past and current Test players.