Charlie Davis was an exceptionally consistent batsman who was unfortunate not to play more for West Indies. He averaged in the near mid-50s in the 15 Tests that he played before being unceremoniously dropped without any concrete reason. A solid batsman who preferred to put a heavy price on his wicket every single time, David was a tough bloke to dislodge once he got his eye in and invariably kicked on to convert his starts to significant knocks. The First-class debut at just 17, that too having kicked off with a dogged fifty, were signs of things to come as his prowess spread loud and wide. A consistent performer in First-class cricket, the middle-order batsman actually produced higher consistency while playing Tests which often brought the best out of him. The biggest shock came in 1973 when he got dropped from the side, just four games after having produced his career-best knock of 183. David was barely needed with the ball in Tests but his medium pace was useful and effective in First-class cricket, both home and away.

Written by Hariprasad Sadanandan