Peter Keen dies aged 60

One of Zimbabwe cricket's most respected and dedicated administrators, Peter Keen, died on November 25 at the age of 60 after a long battle with cancer.

Keen was a former Zimbabwe Cricket Union board member and chairman of the Mashonaland Country Districts Winter Cricket Association, serving on the committee for about 30 years. Former national wicketkeeper Don Arnott, also a stalwart of Districts cricket, said, "The thing that stands out the most about him was his dedication and his total love of the game."

Mr Keen had a degree at the local university and was for years a lecturer at Gwebi Agricultural College not far from Harare, and also Henderson Research Station near Glendale, north of Harare, and these were his contacts with Districts cricket. Gwebi at that time fielded a team in the Lilthurbridge Cup, the Districts competition, although he was a modest player. He later worked for National Foods in Harare.

In 1981 he was the liaison officer for the first Young West Indies team to tour Zimbabwe, which was captained by Faoud Bacchus, and he befriended the manager Cammie Smith.

The Zimbabwe team wore black armbands in his memory as they took part in the third ODI against West Indies at Harare Sports Club, and both sides observed a minute's silence before the match.

He is survived by his wife, Cathy, and two sons, Gavin and Andrew.