KINGSTON, Jamaica – Former Jamaica and West Indies cricketer Richard “Danny Germs” Austin will be buried on Saturday, March 14.

A thanksgiving service will be held on Saturday at the Holy Trinity Cathedral on North Street, downtown Kingston, starting at 10:00 am.

Austin, who was born on September 5, 1954, died on February 6. He was an international cricketer who played two Tests and a One-Day International for the West Indies in 1978. However, his international career was severely affected by a dispute between the West Indies Cricket Board and regional cricketers who had joined Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket (WSC) in 1977. It ended with the Rebel West Indies team that twice toured South Africa during the apartheid era, between 1982 and 1984, under the leadership of Lawrence Rowe.

Following his retirement from cricket, Austin reportedly took to alcohol and drugs and was also homeless.

“He was a tremendous talent – a terrific cricketer and a very good footballer … a wonderful team man,” said Clive Lloyd, who captained Austin as a member of the West Indies cricket team.

“While he was in the team, he did really well and made a very good contribution. He was also a fantastic footballer and played other sports as well,” Lloyd recalled.

Balford Henry