West Indies cricket was desperate for new heroes when Lawrence “Yagga” Rowe walked to the wicket for his debut Test match against New Zealand at Sabina Park on February 16, 1972. The talented right-handed batsman answered the region’s call with scores of 214 and 100 not out.

Fifty years on, Rowe is the only batsman to accomplish the remarkable feat of a double-hundred and century in his first Test. The match was drawn but there were celebrations throughout the Caribbean for the Jamaican’s rare achievement.

But there are no Champagne bottles popping for the golden anniversary of Rowe’s debut. Now 73 and living in Miami, he has been a pariah since he led rebel West Indies teams to Apartheid-ruled South Africa in the early 1980s.

Courtney Francis, CEO of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), was unaware of the 50-year milestone when the Jamaica Observer contacted him.

Francis said he would discuss the matter with his executive but was not prepared to comment on Lawrence Rowe. His predecessor, Lyndel “Muddy” Wright, a close friend of Rowe who attended the West Indies/New Zealand match, agreed to speak with the Observer but has not answered subsequent calls to his cellphone.

Wright, as CEO of the JCA, decided to rename the players’ pavilion The Lawrence Rowe Players Pavilion 11 years ago. That was withdrawn after public outcry.

Delano Franklyn, writing in another newspaper, called the gesture “a grave error of judgement”.

Radio Jamaica, in an editorial, was just as scathing:

“The Jamaica Cricket Association has created one of the biggest blunders in local sporting history in renaming the players’ pavilion at Sabina Park the Lawrence Rowe Players’ Pavilion. The only blunder bigger than that has been Lawrence Rowe’s interview comments in which he expressed the view that the ‘rebel’ cricketers from the West Indies that he led to South Africa could yet be proven to be heroes for their action. It is the kind of controversy that any sporting administration could do without, but it is definitely one that cricket — with all its flagging fortunes — does not need,” read the editorial, in part.

Rowe, who moved permanently to South Florida after the second rebel tour in 1984, also agreed to speak with the Observer, but had a change of heart.

He did admit to an indifferent relationship with Jamaican cricket authorities, which worsened after the pavilion debacle. Rowe also feels slighted at being left off the Sabina Park mural recognising great Jamaican cricketers.

The rebel players were banned for life for going to South Africa by what was then the West Indies Cricket Board of Control. That penalty was subsequently lifted and one of the rebels, Barbadian fast-bowler Ezra Moseley, played for the West Indies against England in 1990 at Sabina Park.

Those players, including Rowe, were honoured by the West Indies Cricket Board at a 1997 ceremony at the Jamaica Pegasus in Kingston that celebrated the regional team.

From Whitfield Town in Kingston, Rowe said because of his upbringing in a poor community, he was considered “underpriviliged” by Jamaican cricket officials.

He never attended a traditional high school but was spotted by Easton McMorris, captain of Jamaica’s Shell Shield senior team, playing for Jamaica Under-19s against Trinidad and Tobago at Up Park Camp in 1968.

Rowe made only 20, but McMorris saw enough to invite him to practise with the senior team. He played for Kensington in the Senior Cup and made his first-class debut at age 20 in the 1969 Shell Shield; in four matches, he had a topscore of 54 against Guyana.

The following year, Rowe scored his maiden first-class century against the Cavaliers, a British team that included top England players like Fred Titmus, Derrick Underwood and John Snow.

Rowe was in prime form at the start of the 1972 season. He made 127 against Guyana and nudged the West Indies selectors with a majestic 227 against the Kiwis who were touring the Caribbean for the first time.

His selection for the first Test at Sabina Park came as no surprise.

The West Indies, captained by Garfield Sobers, were in transition. It still had veteran Guyana off-spinner Lance Gibbs in its ranks but his compatriot, the dashing left-handed opening batsman Roy Fredericks, like Rowe, was an exciting prospect.

New Zealand, led by opening batsman Graham Dowling, were at the bottom of the Test ladder. Their team included the all-rounder Bevan Congdon, batsmen Glenn Turner and Mark Burgess, the all-rounder Bruce Taylor and wicketkeeper/batsman Ken Wadsworth.

Sobers won the toss and batted first on what the recently deceased McMorris remembered was an easy-paced track. Fredericks and Trinidadian Joey Carew put on 78 for the first wicket before the latter was dismissed.

Rowe strolled to the crease and he and Fredericks savaged the bowling to carry the hosts to 274 for one at the close, Fredericks on 123, his maiden Test ton, and Rowe unbeaten with 94.

Rowe completed his century early on the second day and thrilled the full house with his repertoire of shots. He added 269 for the second wicket with Fredericks who made 163, and was third out, caught off left-arm spinner Hedley Howarth.

He batted for 427 minutes, struck 18 fours and one six. Sobers declared the West Indies first innings at 508 for four.

It was only the second time that a batsman had scored a double-century on debut, the first being England’s R E Foster against Australia in the 1903-04 series.

McMorris, who died on February 1, recalls Rowe’s historic knock in a 2012 interview with the Observer.

“He took a little time to get going but eventually he got into the bowling and played a fabulous innings.”

At the close of the second day, New Zealand were struggling at 49 for three, but found heroes in the patient Turner who made 223 and Wadsworth (78) to score 386, giving the Windies an impressive 122-run lead.

A stroke-filled 67 by Rowe carried the West Indies to 168 for three at the end of day four. His even 100, which included 13 fours, allowed Sobers to declare at 218 for three, setting the visitors a victory target of 341. Solid batting from Burgess (101) saw them to 236 for six and a draw.

Lawrence Rowe played 30 Tests for the West Indies, scoring 2,047 runs at a respectable average of 43.55.