For his numbers and impact on the game, Trevor Goddard is definitely one of the most underrated all-rounders in South African cricket. A left-handed opening batsman with a fluid technique and old-school approach, Goddard was the lynchpin of the team from the mid-1950s to the 1970s till his retirement. With the ball in hand, he relied mostly on swing with the stock delivery being the outswinger to the right-hander with the in-curler being the surprise weapon. Accuracy was his biggest strength and his unbeatable economy rate was proof of it. Goddard was a born leader too although his journey to captaincy happened rather easily due to the transition of the team. From a team of talented but extremely inexperienced individuals, he ensured that the side climbed up the ladder in spectacular fashion and also contributed in giving several superstars to the country. An encyclopedia of knowledge, he was tactically strong and had the ability to read the opposition flawlessly. Such was Goddard’s class that even Sir Donald Bradman was in awe of the all-rounder, often lavishing praises on him.

Tall and well-built, Goddard used to bowl left-arm orthodox spin during his childhood and early teenage before eventually switching to swing bowling, purely because the club he joined required a pacer and that was the only slot that he could fit into. Apart from cricket, Goddard enjoyed playing soccer too but after a point, gave up the sport due to the physical nature of it. He felt that it could have a bearing on his cricket which was his primary passion. For a man as loyal and impactful as Goddard, the end to his Test career was anti-climactic. He had announced in 1969-70 that the Australia series would be his last but ended up getting dropped midway through it. Shortly afterwards, he quit first-class cricket too, signing off with a hat-trick. After his playing days, Goddard was an evangelist preacher.

By Hariprasad Sadanandan