ICC condoles demise of former New Zealand captain John Reid

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has condoled the demise of former New Zealand skipper John Reid, who breathed his last at the age of 92 on Wednesday.

Expressing grief on the passing away of the New Zealand cricket great, ICC Chief Executive Manu Sawhney lauded Reid’s contribution to the game of cricket as a fine player and captain of his era and later as an eminent ICC Match Referee.

"This is a sad day for cricket. John was not only a top all-rounder of his time but a fine captain as well, leading New Zealand to their first three Test victories. He continued to contribute to the game in various capacities after retirement and had an admirable stint as an ICC Match Referee," the ICC official press release quoted Sawhney as saying.

“I extend my heartfelt condolences from everyone at the ICC to the family of one of the greats of the game and one whose career as a player, captain and match official will be long remembered," he added.

Reid, a hard-hitting batsman and pacer, appeared in a total of  58 matches for New Zealand in the longest format of the game. He had played 34 of those Test matches as captain and notched up 3,428 runs and 85 wickets in the format from 1949 to 1965. He was considered an extraordinary fielder, who also kept wickets in Tests.

Reid's record as the captain was unique because he not only led New Zealand to their first victory after 26 years in Test cricket when the team defeated the West Indies in Auckland in 1956 but also to their maiden success abroad when New Zealand won two Tests on a tour of South Africa in 1962.

After bidding adieu to Tests, Reid served as the national selector and team manager before taking over the role of the ICC Match Referee from 1993 to 2002, officiating in 50 Tests and 98 ODIs.