West Indies players and officials - select an initial letter: A -
B -
C -
D -
E -
F -
G -
H -
I -
J -
K -
L -
M -
N -
O -
P -
Q -
R -
S -
T -
U -
V -
W -
Y -
Z
Full name Colin Everton Hunte Croft
Born March 15, 1953, Lancaster Village, East Coast, Demerara, British Guiana
Current age 55 years 212 days
Major teams West Indies,Guyana,Lancashire
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast
Batting and fielding averages
Mat
Inns
NO
Runs
HS
Ave
BF
SR
100
50
4s
6s
Ct
St
Tests
27
37
22
158
33
10.53
0
0
1
8
0
ODIs
19
6
4
18
8
9.00
38
47.36
0
0
1
0
1
0
First-class
121
136
54
855
46*
10.42
0
0
25
0
List A
81
33
18
231
33
15.40
0
0
17
0
Bowling averages
Mat
Inns
Balls
Runs
Wkts
BBI
BBM
Ave
Econ
SR
4w
5w
10
Tests
27
52
6165
2913
125
8/29
9/95
23.30
2.83
49.3
7
3
0
ODIs
19
19
1070
620
30
6/15
6/15
20.66
3.47
35.6
0
1
0
First-class
121
21101
10527
428
8/29
24.59
2.99
49.3
17
1
List A
81
4083
2465
102
6/10
6/10
24.16
3.62
40.0
2
2
0
Career statistics
Test debut
West Indies v Pakistan at Bridgetown, Feb 18-23, 1977 scorecard
Last Test
Australia v West Indies at Adelaide, Jan 30-Feb 3, 1982 scorecard
Test statistics
ODI debut
West Indies v Pakistan at Albion, Mar 16, 1977 scorecard
Last ODI
Australia v West Indies at Sydney, Nov 24, 1981 scorecard
ODI statistics
First-class span
1971/72 - 1982
List A span
1975/76 - 1983/84
Profile
Wisden overview "Crofty," a West Indian team-mate once said, "would bounce his grandmother if he thought there was a wicket in it." In a relatively brief career lasting just five years, he established a reputation as one of the most chilling of fast men, with no compunction whatsoever about inflicting pain. There was little of the orthodox about him. The prancing run was straight but the batsman saw only his head bobbing behind the umpire until he veered out wide of the crease just prior to delivery, leaning back and slanting the ball awkwardly in to the right-hander. Often, as with Courtney Walsh later, it would hold up off the seam and move away.
Occasionally his volatility and enthusiasm for the bouncer got him into trouble, most notably when he kept the local infirmary busy while bowling for Guyana against the Australians in 1977-78, and again two winters later during an acrimonious tour of New Zealand, when he failed to veer out in his run and flattened the umpire Fred Goodall who had annoyed him.
He was a fine bowler though and in 27 matches he managed 125 wickets - a remarkable haul in a side laden with high-class pace where the spoils tended to be spread. Best of all came in his second match where at Port-of-Spain he laid waste the Pakistan batting with 8 for 29, still the best figures by a West Indian fast bowler. Since retirement he qualified as an airline pilot ("he wouldn't land in the middle of the runway too often," someone commented) and then joined the media circus where he frequently turns press conferences into a lecture theatre.
Mike Selvey
