Former limited-overs English batter passes away at 71

Former England top-order batter Wayne Larkins passed away at the age of 71 following a short illness. Larkins, famously called "Ned" originally hailed from Northamptonshire. He made 13 appearances and 25 appearances for England in Test and ODI cricket, respectively. Besides, he also featured in the 1979 World Cup Final, where he came in to bat at number 7 and bowled two overs. This was only his second appearance for England.

But the most defining moment of his career came when Larkins hit the winning runs to give England a surprising 1-0 lead during the 1989-90 tour of the West Indies. However, just as any accomplished cricketer, Larkins also went through a dark phase in his career when he faced a ban of three years for his involvement in the rebel tour of South Africa in 1982.

More about Wayne Larkins' cricketing background

Larkins was renowned for his elegant strokeplay and displayed a very welcoming off-the-field character. He spent most of his time playing for Northamptonshire, making a staggering 700 appearances for them. He subsequently moved to Durham, before drawing his cricketing career to a close that saw him amass as many as 40,000 runs and 85 hundreds.

While addressing the media, Larkins's wife Debbie expressed her grief at his demise and also gave a glimpse of what his personality was like. She further added how people were drawn to his infectious energy and never wanted the party to finish.

"He loved his soul mate of a wife and his precious daughters so much. He will be partying up in the sky, drinking a toast to everyone and to his own life. We are devastated but we'll never forget his undeniably unique presence and his impact on our lives. We will carry him in our hearts forever."