Allan Fitzroy Rae, O.J., C.D., left an indelible mark on Caribbean cricket, each as a participant of uncommon dependability and as an administrator of unusual integrity. Born in Rollington City, Kingston, on September 30, 1922, he was launched to the sport via his father, Ernest Allan Rae, a middle-order batsman and leg-spinner who toured England with the West Indies in 1928. Educated at Wolmer’s Boys’ College, Rae emerged onto Jamaica’s cricketing panorama within the Forties and would go on to turn into one of many area’s most influential cricketing figures.
The Batsman
A left-handed opener, Rae constructed his popularity as the proper foil to Trinidadian stroke-maker Jeffrey Stollmeyer. Collectively, they solid one of many West Indies’ most dependable opening partnerships. Rae was nicknamed the “Sheet Anchor” for his steadiness through the historic 1950 tour of England, when West Indies secured their first collection victory there. His contributions — together with a century at Lord’s — supplied the platform for the celebrated triumph of the “Three Ws” and the spin duo of Sonny Ramadhin and Alf Valentine.
In all, Rae performed 15 Check matches between 1948 and 1953, scoring 1,016 runs at a mean of 46.18, together with 4 centuries. For Jamaica, he amassed 1,464 runs in 21 matches at 40.67, cementing his place in regional cricket lore. Considered one of his most cherished feats got here in 1947 when he scored 111 and 128 in opposition to Barbados at Sabina Park, changing into the primary batsman in regional first-class cricket to attain centuries in each innings of a match.
The Administrator
Rae’s affect prolonged far past the boundary. Skilled as a lawyer, he introduced his authorized acumen to cricket administration. After serving as president of the Jamaica Cricket Affiliation, he rose to the presidency of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) in 1981, a publish he held till 1988. His tenure coincided with a number of the most turbulent episodes in West Indies cricket: the Kerry Packer World Sequence and the insurgent excursions to apartheid South Africa.
All through these crises, Rae was seen as a determine of steadiness. Captain Peter Quick, who served below him, recalled in a Gleaner article that “Allan dropped at the desk honesty, a transparent, pondering thoughts, and a way of truthful play”. Even when standard gamers defected to South Africa, Rae by no means softened his stance. Because the Gleaner noticed, he “by no means backed off — not even an inch.”
A Lasting Legacy
Tributes following his demise in February 2005 underlined the breadth of his contribution. Portia Simpson Miller, then Minister of Sport, hailed Rae as “a real big of cricket” whose “passing at 82 years epitomises the top of a superb innings of life”. WICB President Teddy Griffith famous that Rae served “with dignity” throughout significantly troubled occasions, and was revered throughout the cricketing world.
Recognized variously because the “Sheet Anchor” and, to Jamaican cricketers, “The Baron” — titles reflecting each his firmness and his respect — Rae’s life story is considered one of dedication to the sport. He was not solely a run-scorer of substance but in addition a guardian of cricket’s values, guaranteeing the West Indies’ popularity for excellence and precept on and off the sector.
A Ethical Compass
When Allan Rae handed away in 2005, West Indies cricket misplaced greater than a former batsman and administrator; it misplaced considered one of its ethical compasses. His mix of sporting prowess, authorized mind, and unwavering resolve made him a central determine in shaping the Caribbean’s cricketing id. In an period of immense change, Rae anchored each the innings and the establishment.
