Tributes have been paid to the former England Test cricket captain Ted Dexter after his death at the age of 86.

Dexter, a former president of the Marylebone Cricket Club who was also England’s chairman of selectors between 1989 and 1993, won 62 caps for his country, scoring nine centuries, and led the side as captain in 30 Tests.

A fearless and charismatic batsman who also worked as a broadcaster and a writer, Dexter was known as a free spirit on and off the field, with a deep affection for cars, horse racing and golf.

“People won’t remember him for numbers, they will remember the way he played the game,” another former England captain, Mike Atherton, who was given his England debut by Dexter, said on Sky Sports. “He was a great stylist who played with great flair and adventure.

“It’s a day to celebrate a full and varied life, 86 … he squeezed every last drop out of life. I was very fond of him. He gave me my first cap and made me captain – and then resigned during my first game!

“You’re remembered for how you played, rather than the numbers and he played the game the right way. He’d turn up to selection meetings on his bike in his leathers, with his suit underneath with the averages in a briefcase. He was one of those people who lived life to the full.”

Another player-turned-broadcaster, Mark Nicholas, added: “Ted Dexter has gone – boyhood hero, teacher and dear friend. He was one of the great players and did as much or more than anyone to drag cricket into the modern age. Charlie Watts and Ted, in the space of 24 hours – icons of the 60’s in very different ways – sadness indeed.”

Dexter was named as one of the five Wisden cricketers of the year in 1961, the same year in which he was appointed England captain, a position he held until 1964.

He was a committed fan of the current England captain, Joe Root, and would have enjoyed the Yorkshireman’s sensational innings in the second Test against India at Headingley on Thursday, where the home players wore black armbands in remembrance.

Speaking before the day’s play Root said: “It’s a really sad day, ex-captain and selector, played a huge amount for England, a brilliant servant to the game, it’s terribly sad to hear and hopefully we can put on a performance in his memory.

“I never had the pleasure of spending much time with him, but he did send me some emails out of the blue when I wasn’t playing so well telling me how to get back to where I was.”

The acting chief executive of the international cricket council, Geoff Allardice, described Dexter as “one of the most accomplished batsmen of his era”, while the MCC said he “played the game with the same sense of adventure and fun that captures much of the story of his remarkable life”.

Source: The Guardian

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