St. John's (Antigua), Oct 4 (IANS): Distinguished former West Indies Cricket Board chief executive officer Steve Camacho is dead, reports CMC.

The 69-year-old, who was also a selector, West Indies team manager and Test batsman, passed away in Antigua on Saturday following a battle with cancer. He would have celebrated his 70th birthday in nine days.

Camacho distinguished himself as an outstanding administrator, spending 18 years as CEO of the WICB, and was the first full-time employee of the board.

He was born in British Guiana and played his early cricket at the Georgetown Cricket Club. As a right-handed opener, he went on to play 76 first class games, scoring 4,079 runs including seven centuries and 24 half-centuries at an average of 34.

Camacho played 11 Tests for the West Indies, making his debut on England’s 1968 tour of the Caribbean alongside the likes of the legendary Garry Sobers, Clive Lloyd and Wes Hall.

He gathered 640 runs with four half-centuries.