Former England Test captain Ted Dexter dies aged 86

London [UK], August 26 (ANI): Former England skipper Ted Dexter, one of the greatest batsmen of his time, has passed away at the age of 86.

"After a recent illness he passed away peacefully in the Compton Hospice in Wolverhampton at midday yesterday, surrounded by his family," Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) said in a statement.

MCC said Ted was a cherished husband, father, and grandfather and one of England's greatest ever cricketers.

He was a captain in 30 of his 62 Test matches and played the game with the same sense of adventure and fun that captures much of the story of his remarkable life.

Former England skipper Michael Vaughan said Dexter "always went out of his way" to guide youngsters.

"Such sad news .. Ted dexter was someone who always went out of his way to offer so much great advice to me & many others .. seeing him arrive for lunch on his motorbike & then sit & listen to him discuss all cricketing issues was always a joy," Vaughan tweeted.

Dexter's off-field contribution to the game was substantial too, most notably his work, with Colin Cowdrey, on the Spirit of Cricket. According to MCC, Dexter through his own PR Agency became a pioneer in cricket's digital technology revolution and he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame earlier this summer.

In a first-class career that traversed from 1956 to 1968, Dexter hit more than 21,000 runs and scalped 419 wickets.

In a statement, ICC's Acting Chief Executive Geoff Allardice remembered the ICC Hall of Famer as a top batter of his era who continued to serve the game after retirement from international cricket.

Geoff Allardice said: "Ted Dexter was one of the most accomplished batsmen of his era. His ability to dominate fast bowling was admirable and his superb batting against the West Indies and Australia teams is remembered by all.

"He also made notable contributions to the game in various capacities post-retirement and helped develop the players' rankings that are so popular today. Ted was honoured to be one of this year's special inductees to the ICC Hall of Fame and it is really sad to hear the news of his passing. On behalf of the ICC, I would like to extend my condolences to his family and friends." (ANI)