Founder of cricket’s ranking system dies

LONDON: Ted Dexter, the charismatic former England cricket captain who went on to become the national team’s chief selector and founded the ranking system used by the sport’s governing body, has died. He was 86.

The Marylebone Cricket Club, where Dexter was a former president, said he died Wednesday surrounded by his family in a hospice following a recent illness. “Ted was a cherished husband, father and grandfather and one of England’s greatest ever cricketers,” said MCC.

Dexter, who was born in Milan, was a middle-order batsman who played 62 Tests from 1958-68, captaining England in 30. He scored 4,502 runs and took 66 wickets with his seam bowling. Six of his nine centuries were above 140. Known as “Lord Ted,” Dexter is remembered for his bravery on the field, showing no fear against fast bowling with his front-foot approach. Some of his most memorable innings came against ferocious West Indies attacks, including centuries in Barbados and Guyana in 1960. “Ted Dexter was one of the most accomplished batsmen of his era,” acting ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice said. “His ability to dominate fast bowling was admirable and his superb batting against the West Indies and Australia teams is remembered by all.”

Away from the field, Dexter

was a scratch golfer—at 43, he spent a year trying to reach the British Open and missed a final-hole putt in qualifying to miss out — and a horse racing enthusiast, while he stood as a candidate for the Conservative party in the 1964 general election.

After his retirement, which was triggered by a car accident in 1965 even though he prolonged his career until 1972, Dexter worked in broadcasting and wrote crime novels, showing again his thirst for variety.

He helped to devise a ranking system for Test players that was later adopted by ICC. He was chairman of selectors for a declining England team from 1989-93 and was the first to be paid for the role. He later served MCC as president and cricket committee chairman.

England players wore black armbands in honour of Dexter at Headingley on Thursday. “Hope England’s batsmen can put on a show today and that they play with the kind of grace and style and flair that Ted Dexter epitomised,” former England captain Mike Atherton wrote on Twitter.