Wisden obituary
Former West Indies captain John Douglas Claude Goddard died in St Mary's Hospital, London on Aug 26, 1987, after collapsing in the hotel where he had been staying as a guest of MCC during the Bicentenary match at Lord's. He was 68.

Born in Bridgetown on April 21, 1919, John Goddard made his Barbados debut in 1936–37 when only 17. A left-hand batsman, right-arm inswing or offspin bowler and fine close fielder, he joined with Frank Worrell in a massive partnership in 1943–44, adding an unfinished 502 for the fourth wicket against Trinidad at Bridgetown, his own share being a career-highest 218 not out.

After the war, he made his Test debut, alongside six other West Indians, in the Barbados Test against England early in 1948, moving to opener in the third and fourth Tests when he assumed the captaincy, and turning in some steady performances, the best being 5 for 31 in England's collapse for 111 at Georgetown. Later that year he led West Indies successfully in India, again chipping in with the supporting innings, the useful bowling spell, the smart catch. He also won all five tosses.

Then came the tour for which he will always be remembered: England 1950. After losing at Old Trafford, West Indies won at Lord's for the first time on English soil and took the remaining two Tests as well. Rae, Stollmeyer, the three Ws, Gomez, and `those two little pals of mine, Ramadhin and Valentine' gave Goddard's team a firm grip on the series against a strong England side.

Just over a year later, West Indies, playing for what was then considered unofficially to be the championship of the world, were crushed 4-1 in Australia. Goddard stood down for the fifth Test, having made a few runs from his now-customary lower-order position but taken only four wickets. His leadership on that tour won him few accolades, but A. G. Moyes wrote that `he was so human, so humble, living with and for his team. His own success mattered nothing to him provided his charges prevailed.'

Goddard seemed to have played his last Test after the New Zealand leg of the 1951–52 tour, having been suspended by the West Indies Board for making unguarded Press comments, but came back as player-manager for the 1955–56 tour of that country, making 147 runs for only once out in three Tests under Denis Atkinson's captaincy. Then, even more heavily-built at 38, he led West Indies to England in 1957 on a tour as full of failure as the 1950 expedition had been successful. His only score was 61 at Trent Bridge, and he was too ill to bat the final Test, at the Oval, which was his last.

His figures for his 27 Tests (in 22 of which he led West Indies) were 859 runs (30.68) and 33 wickets (31.82), and 22 catches. John Goddard was a prominent businessman, a partner in a sizable family firm.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd