Clive Lloyd Retires from Captaincy — End of an Era, 1985

Lloyd had taken over the West Indies in 1974 and had led them through the World Series Cricket years, the rebuilding of the pace attack, and into the 1980s as the world's dominant side.

The 1984-85 Australian tour was his pre-announced final assignment; West Indies won 3-1.

Lloyd had taken over the West Indies captaincy in 1974 after a chaotic period under Rohan Kanhai. By 1985 he had won two World Cups (1975, 1979), reached a third final (1983), and led West Indies to a record 27-Test unbeaten run including the 1984 Blackwash. He retired after a 3-1 Test series win in Australia, in which he himself made a final Test hundred at Adelaide. The numbers: 110 Tests, 7,515 runs at 46.67, 19 hundreds. As captain: 74 Tests, 36 wins, 12 losses, 26 draws. He left the captaincy and Test cricket at the same moment, handing both over to Viv Richards. The Lloyd era is considered the most dominant captaincy in Test history; the team he built — Greenidge, Haynes, Richards, Lloyd, Dujon, Marshall, Holding, Garner, Roberts and others — never lost a Test series under his leadership from 1980 to 1985.

“I was lucky to lead a great team. We trusted each other.”

“Clive built that side. The rest of us just played.”

Richards inherited a team at its peak; he did not lose a Test series in 50 Tests as captain.