Former England cricketer Wayne Larkins passes away at 71

NEW DELHI: Former England and Northamptonshire cricketer Wayne Larkins has passed away at the age of 71 after a short illness, according to a statement on the Northamptonshire website. The former international, affectionately known as "Ned", died on June 28.Larkins represented England in 13 Tests and 25 One Day Internationals between 1979 and 1991. His second appearance came in the 1979 World Cup final, where he batted at No. 7 and bowled two overs. However, one of his most memorable moments came over a decade later during the 1989-90 tour of the West Indies, when he scored the winning runs at Sabina Park to give England a surprise 1-0 series lead — in what was only his seventh Test, more than eight years after his sixth.Larkins’ international career might have included more caps, but he was banned for three years due to his participation in the unofficial 1982 rebel tour of South Africa.He spent the majority of his domestic career with Northamptonshire, playing over 700 matches for the club. Larkins was renowned for his fluent strokeplay and lively personality off the field. Later, he moved to Durham, where he eventually retired from a remarkable career that yielded more than 40,000 runs and 85 centuries across formats.His wife, Debbie, shared an emotional tribute on the Northamptonshire website: "Ned loved everyone he met, and everyone loved him. People were drawn to his infectious energy. He lit up every room 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," she added.Larkins enjoyed a rich vein of form between 1978 and 1985, passing 1,000 first-class runs in each of those seasons. In 1983, he hit a career-best streak, smashing 236 against Derbyshire at Derby and following it up with 252 against Glamorgan at Swansea — all within a span of seven weeks. That form might have warranted an England recall, had he not been serving a ban for his role in the rebel tour.Wayne Larkins will be remembered not just for his talent and achievements on the field, but also for the joy and energy he brought to those around him.