Gus Logie – West Indies cricketer
Augustine “Gus” Logie is a former middle-order right-handed batsman from the West Indies. A diminutive player and exceptional outfielder, Logie played for the West Indies from 1983 to 1991, when they were a champion team. When the team was fielding, Logie usually provided a safe pair of hands, whether saving runs or taking sharp catches.
Born in Sobo, Trinidad in 1960, Logie grew up to be a graceful hitter with good technique. He began his First Class career with Trinidad and Tobago in the 1977/1978 season. Logie’s off-break bowling was occasional by all accounts. He was rarely called up to bowl in first-class cricket and only took five wickets between 1977 and 1993; 3 in First Division matches and 2 in one-day matches. His fielding certainly made up for his lack of overall skill.
Gus Logie made his ODI debut in the 1981 Benson and Hedges World Series Cup. Surprisingly, he played four matches in that series but failed to win at all. The first opportunity to win in an ODI came in his fifth match against India at his home ground, Queen’s Park Oval. Logie scored six unbeaten runs in that match. He was lucky to have a chance to win even then; such was the dominance of the West Indies batting order.
Logie made his Test debut against India at Kingston in 1983. In fact, he had a chance to win – twice! However, he outscored him in the first inning for 13 and scored just 10 in the second inning. Logie’s Test’s career was characterized by some major innings, though he was often inconsistent. He got 16 half-century tests, but only 2 centuries. Twice he was sacked in the ’90s. From 78 Test innings, Logie amassed 2,470 runs at a good average of 35.79.
Logie’s ODI career was also marked by inconsistency, but this was more acceptable in the short version, when fast executions are often needed. Out of 158 ODIs, he scored 2,809 runs at an average of 28.95. His batting strike rate was a creditable 73.90. Logie cracked a solitary ODI century and 14 half centuries. He last played for the West Indies in an ODI in 1993, the year he retired from playing all forms of competitive cricket.
However, Logie’s involvement in cricket did not stop with his retirement as a player. He got his coaching license and took the reins at West Indies for a couple of years until late 2004. The highlight of that period was winning the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy. He left soon after and became involved as a coach. in the Bermuda cricket program.