Perth, Jan. 31 : ICC President David Morgan today paid tribute to cricket statistician, scorer and author Bill Frindall, who passed away on Thursday, aged 69.

"The news of Bill's passing has shocked me and my thoughts and those of everyone at the ICC go out to his wife Debbie, other members of his family and friends.

"I saw Bill earlier this month when he took part in a Lord's Taverners charity trip to the United Arab Emirates and it is hard to believe he is no longer with us.

"Cricket owes Bill a huge debt of thanks because his tireless work has helped create a context for the game we know today.

"He was one of the first people to bring together records from the history of Test cricket and put them all in one place, publishing the scorecards and records of every Test match played. That has allowed people to more easily compare players and teams from different eras.

"Bill was the gold standard of cricket statisticians, someone universally recognised within the game as a master of his art, and a prolific author.

"He was an integral part of the BBC's cricket coverage for more than 40 years and, away from that arena, he was a passionate supporter of the Lord's Taverners charity and blind cricket.

"Bill's devotion to the game of cricket was truly outstanding and he will be sorely missed." (ANI)