Desmond Haynes is a retired West Indian cricketer and former captain of the West Indies cricket team. He played 116 Test 238 One Day International (ODI) matches, and scored 7,487 and 8,648 runs respectively.[1] He scored centuries (100 or more runs in an innings) in Test matches and One Day International (ODI) matches on 18 and 17 occasions respectively during his international career.[2][3] He was rated by Trinidad and Tobago Guardian as "one of the greatest of all time",[4] while the BBC described him as "one of the greatest opening partnerships in history with fellow Barbadian Gordon Greenidge."[5] The cricket almanac Wisden noted his "combination of timing and barely evident power", and named him one of their Cricketers of the Year in 1991.[6]
Haynes made his Test debut against Australia at the Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, in March 1978.[7] His first Test century came in February 1980 against New Zealand at the Carisbrook, Dunedin, a match the West Indies lost by one wicket.[8] His highest score of 184 runs came the same year against England at the Lord's Cricket Ground, London.[9][10] Five of his Test centuries came against Australia.[2] Haynes scored Test centuries at twelve cricket grounds, against five different opponents, including eight at venues outside the West Indies.[11][12] As of October 2023, he is seventh in the list of Test century-makers for the West Indies.[13]
Haynes scored a century on his ODI debut in February 1978 against Australia at the Antigua Recreation Ground, St John's.[14] His score of 148 runs in the match earned him a man of the match award, resulting in the West Indies' win.[15] His highest score in ODIs remained 152 runs, against India at the Bourda, Georgetown in March 1989.[3] Due to his man-of-the-match performance, the West Indies won the match by 101 runs, and the series 5–0.[16] He was most successful against Australia making six ODI centuries against them.[3] Haynes' 17 ODI centuries was previously a record, until Sachin Tendulkar surpassed it in 1998.[1][17] As of October 2023, Haynes is the third in the list of ODI century-makers for the West Indies.[18]