Former Guyanese, Windies wicketkeeper Pydana passes on

Former West Indies wicketkeeper Milton Pydana passed away on Tuesday afternoon in Brooklyn, New York after a brief illness.
Pydana was 75. He had moved to the United States in the 1980s and took up coaching.

He had two tours with the West Indies and made his One-Day International (ODI) debut against Pakistan in Karachi in 1980. His first catch was made when Javed Miandad edged a leg-cutter off Colin Croft.
He was the understudy to David Murray in Pakistan and in 1983, he was second string to Jeff Dujon in India. In his second ODI, Pydana hit the winning runs – the only time he had batted in his three international matches.
In India, he played just once in the ODI team.
At the First-Class level, he scored two centuries in 85 matches and took 152 catches while executing 36 stumpings. In 24 Regional One-Day games, He had 29 dismissals. After playing his last First-Class match in the 1988 Red Stripe Cup tournament, Pydana, who was the most naturally talented of the keepers produced by Guyana, moved to New York in February 1989.
As one would expect, the tributes poured in for Pydana, a testament to his legacy and contributions to the sport.
The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) shared, “The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) is saddened on receiving the news of the passing of Milton Robert Pydana, former West Indies and Guyana cricketer.
“Pydana, born in New Amsterdam in January 1950, was an excellent wicketkeeper-batsman whose First-Class cricket career spanned the years 1970 to 1988 during which time he played 85 matches. He also played 27 List A matches including three ODIs for West Indies. Of his three ODIs, two were played against Pakistan in 1980 and one against India in 1983. After migrating to the USA, Pydana was made one of the two assistant cricket coaches of their national team in 2014.
“Pydana found it difficult to break into the great West Indies Test team of the 1970s and 1980s because of the presence of outstanding first-choice wicketkeepers Deryck Murray, Michael Finlay and Jeffrey Dujon. In his lengthy cricket career, he was a mainstay in the Police First-Division team, the Berbice inter-county team and the Guyana national team.
“In March 2024, Pydana was one of the celebrated guests at the reunion of the 1983 Guyana team that, for the first time, won both the regional four-day tournament (Shell Shield Trophy) and the one-day tournament (Harrison Line Cup) under the captaincy of our illustrious Clive Lloyd.
“The GCB extends sympathy to the family, relatives and friends of Milton Robert Pydana. May his soul rest in peace.”
Sport historian Charwayne Walker also shared a tribute, “Pydana caught the eyes of the West Indies selectors after a consistent 1980 Shell Shield championship. He would always talk about his 117 versus Jamaica at Jarret Park that saved Guyana from an outright defeat.
That Jamaica team included the likes of Michael Holding. So impressed with Pydana’s efficiency behind the stumps in 1980, the West Indies selectors choose him as the late David Murray’s under-study for 1980-81 Tour of Pakistan. He featured in two One-Day Internationals on that tour.
“After helping Guyana win the double Shell Shield and Geddes Grant Championships in 1983, Pydana was the West Indies stand-by wicketkeeper for the 1983 ICC World Cup in England. Later that year, he toured India with the Sir Clive Lloyd-led West Indies team as Jeffrey Dujon’s under-study and played a single One-Day International against the host.
“No other Guyanese wicketkeeper has ever featured for the West Indies in an ODI to date. His proudest moment representing Guyana was 1985 as Captain and led the Land of the majestic Kaieteur to the Geddes Grant Harrison Line Championship, defeating Jamaica in the finals at the GCC Ground, Bourda.”