Willie Rodriguez

Who is Willie Rodriguez?

William Vicente Rodriguez is a former West Indian cricketer who played in five Tests from 1962 to 1968.

After three first-class matches for Trinidad over five seasons, which included a century against the touring Pakistanis in 1957–58, Rodriguez was selected to tour India and Pakistan with the West Indian team in 1958–59. Apart from figures of 7 for 90 against Indian Universities he had little success with bat or ball, and did not play in any of the Tests.

He played in the Second and Fourth Tests against India in 1961–62, scoring 50 and taking 3 for 51 with his leg-spin in the Fourth Test at Port of Spain. His tour of England in 1963 was hampered by a cartilage injury, but after making 93 in over four hours as an opener against Yorkshire he was selected to replace Joey Carew as an opener in the Fifth Test, and made 5 and 28. He played in the Fifth Test against Australia in 1964–65, but without success.

From this point in his first-class career his batting fell away while his bowling improved: from 1965–66 to 1969–70 he made 507 runs at 18.10 with only one fifty, but took 69 wickets at 22.21, taking five or more wickets in an innings seven times. For Trinidad against the touring MCC in 1967–68 he took 6 for 51, and he replaced David Holford for the Fourth Test. He took four wickets, but England won, and he was replaced by Holford.