OTD| Former England wicketkeeper Paul Downton was born in 1957

On this day on 4th April, back in 1957, former English cricketer Paul Downton was born. The star cricketer has played 30 Test matches and 28 ODIs while going on to amass 785 and 242 runs, respectively, from 1977 to 1989. In addition to this, the stylish right-handed batter has a magnificent edition, as he has played 314 matches and has gone on to grab 8270 runs in his career.

Paul Downton was the main wicketkeeper batter for Kent Country from 1977 to 1979, while he played for Middlesex between 1980 and 1991. However, the star cricketer faced many struggles during his career. He was called to play Test cricket in 1981, but he had a chance to make his debut in 1984 against the Windies.

However, Paul Downton used every opportunity and boosted England’s batting line-up in his first Test series against the West Indies. In addition to this, the legendary cricketer played a crucial role in winning the Test series against host country India back in 1984–85 and helping his side regain the Ashes against Australia in 1985.

Moreover, the cricketer played a great role in guiding the England team to the final of the 1987 ODI World Cup, but his side eventually lost to Australia in the final game. However, the star batter played a wonderful role in Middlesex’s successes, as he guided the side to win four times from 1980 to 1990. The great batter played a crucial role in the 1980 Gillette Cup, the NatWest Trophy in 1984, the Benson and Hedges Cup in 1983 and 1986, and the Refuge Assurance Cup in 1990.

Meanwhile, Downton’s career ended in 1991 after he failed to recover from his eye injuries. However, after retiring, he was appointed as the Managing Director of the England and Wales Cricket Board on October 16, 2013, and went on to replace Hugh Moris. He left the role on April 8, 2015, and went on to serve as the Director of Cricket of Kent on January 8, 2018.