Tony Cozier: 8 facts you need to know about the voice of West Indies cricket

“And then they had the catches named after something that sounded like Kamran Akmal, who ironically couldn’t take a catch.”

This is how Tony Cozier described a catch during a game in the first edition of the Indian Premier League.

Cozier, the voice of Caribbean cricket, died in Barbados on May 11 at the age of 75. Starting his career as a cricket writer in 1958, despite not having played at a high level, he became one of the most eminent commentators, especially in the West Indies.

His first experience as a commentator was during Australia's tour of West Indies in 1965 on radio and has sailed with the Caribbean team since then, seeing their ups and downs, for almost five decades. His eloquence, entwined with humour and wit will never fade away from the cricket commentary boxes in the islands.

Here are the eight facts you need to know about the veteran cricket commentator and writer:

1. Cozier had once told that he never thought he would get into commentating. Being born to a journalist, he started off as a writer and was made the editor of the Barbados News Daily in 1961. He told The Indian Express that he thought that is what he would do.

2. It was estimated that Cozier was one of the most prolific watchers of the long format of the game anywhere. In 2003, Wisden had reported that he had watched about 266 Test matches in his 40-year-long career of covering the game.

3. Cozier is said to have had a "love-hate" relationship with the legendary Brian Lara. He allegedly had a lot of tiffs with the former West Indies captain, as he was extremely critical of his playing. He had also once also remarked, "He (Lara) wasn't good for West Indies cricket."

4. The press box at Kensington Oval Cricket Ground, in his birthplace Bridgetown, is named after him as a tribute to his work as a commentator, journalist, historian and an analyst.

5. Cozier was an opening batsman and a wicketkeeper for two clubs in Barbados – Carlton and Wanderers. He also played hockey and was a goalkeeper for Barbados.

6. Cozier was well-known for his knowledge of stats. In 1967, during a Marylebone Cricket Club tour, his fellow commentator Brian Johnston had jokingly asked Cozier to recite the bowling figures and birthdays of the West Indies team, according to The Wit of Cricket, the book written by Brian's son Barry Johnston.

7. Between 1970 and 1971, he edited the West Indies Cricket Annual and in 1978, he wrote the acclaimed The West Indies: 50 years of Test cricket book. He also collaborated with two legendary West Indian cricketers on their autobiographies – Clive Lloyd (Living for Cricket) and Michael Holding.

8. In 2011, the MCC awarded the ace commentator with a life membership of the club for his extraordinary service to the game. He joined the elite group of former cricketers, umpires, journalists and administrators including West Indies legend Sir Vivian Richards, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his TMS colleague, Christopher Martin-Jenkins.