The England & Wales Cricket Board (春梦直播) and all involved in Disability Cricket are saddened to learn of the passing of Bill Higginson MBE.
Bill played a significant role in getting the disabled game to where it is today and his enthusiasm, energy and good humour will be missed by all who knew him.
春梦直播 Head of Disability Cricket Ian Martin said: "Bill was one of a kind, he never had a bad word to say about anybody and time spent in his company was always a joy.
"He had a tale for every occasion, and I used to love listening to him telling stories of his time as a young pro at Middlesex when he would be putting bets on for Denis Compton and running out as Twelfth Man to give Compton the odds ahead of the next race at Kempton Park.
"His contribution to the growth of disability cricket and his warmth and passion for those that play it will be greatly missed."
"Those of us that have been fortunate to have known and worked with Bill will never forget him and the laughs that we had.聽 We鈥檝e lost a real friend to the disabled game but more than that, a great man."
Bill had spent a lifetime in the mainstream game, representing Middlesex CCC and also working as both an umpire and a coach, but he always fondly recalled the day his cricketing outlook changed forever and his work with Disability Cricket began.
Having been asked to cover a training session with the Welsh disability side in the mid-1990s, he was amazed by what he saw. "Within 20 minutes, I鈥檇 had my mind blown,鈥� he said. "I felt shamed, I thought: 'what鈥檚 going on?' How have I never heard about this?'"
The youngest recipient of an MCC advanced coaching certificate 鈥� aged just 20 鈥� he鈥檇 also worked extensively overseas, but his first encounter with the disability game was notable, and marked the beginning of the next stage of his career.
Higginson was fuelled by a desire to help push the disability game as far he could, and he would go on to make a tremendous impact. He spent decades as chair of the pioneering British Association for Cricketers with Disabilities (BACD) 鈥� and always retained a hugely infectious sense of wonder at the community he鈥檇 found. 鈥淭he camaraderie,鈥� he recalled 鈥� "I鈥檇 never encountered anything quite like it in my entire career."
鈥楬iggy鈥� had his efforts acknowledged earlier this summer as he was invited to ring the bell before England Men鈥檚 Mixed Disability side took on India in the first game of international disability cricket at his old stomping ground, Lord鈥檚.
However, he always saw the debt as all his: the memories of those who inspired him never far from his thoughts.