West Indies commentator Tony Cozier(75) passes away Wednesday May 11,2016

Esteemed commentator and the voice of West Indies cricket, Tony Cozier, has passed away, aged 75. Cozier had been admitted to Bayview Hospital in Beckles Road in Barbados and was said to be under doctors' care and in a critical condition.

The West Indies Cricket Board confirmed his death, on Wednesday, in his native Barbados.
A short statement on the board's official Twitter feed read: "Tony Cozier the legendary West Indies Cricket writer and commentary died this morning in Barbados. May he RIP."

Tony Cozier the legendary West Indies Cricket writer and commentary died this morning in Barbados. May he RIP. pic.twitter.com/3k2vnCirgu

— westindies (@westindies) May 11, 2016

Winston Anthony Cozier was born in July 1940 in Barbados and became one of cricket's great voices. Cozier is said to have covered almost every cricket series involving the West Indies series since 1962. He has donned many hats during his lifetime, and is one of the most respected cricket writers, broadcasters and historians from the Caribbean.

Born to Jimmy Cozier, a journalist based out of Barbados who founded the Barbados Daily News and was the managing editor of the St Lucia Voice, Tony Cozier went on to become one of West Indies cricket's more prominent voices, writing several books and providing commentary for many TV and radio networks channels.

Cozier himself played cricket, and hockey, for a couple of local clubs in Barbados. He went on to study journalism at Carleton University in Ottawa.

He started commentating and writing on cricket in 1958.

 In 2011, The Marylebone Cricket Club, in 2011, accorded Cozier with life membership for his services to cricket.

Commenting on the sad news, Damien O'Donohoe, Chief Executive Officer of the Caribbean Premier League said: "It was with great sadness that we learned of Tony's sad passing.
"To many fans across the Caribbean and beyond he was quite simply the voice of West Indies cricket. His love of cricket was a positive influence in telling the story across a golden era for West Indies cricket and he was hugely respected and loved, in equal measure, by fans of the game.
"For more than 50 years Tony's voice has resonated through television, radio or the written word in homes across the cricketing world and he was admired internationally for his passion, insight and enthusiasm," he said.