Roland Butcher

Roland Orlando Butcher (born 14 October 1953) is a former cricket player and coach, who played for England in three Test matches and three One Day Internationals from 1980 to 1981. He is recognised as being the first black cricketer to represent England. His brief international career was somewhat overshadowed by the death of Ken Barrington, and the 'Jackman affair'.

Butcher came to prominence during Middlesex's successes in 1980 when they won the County Championship and the Gillette Cup, impressing with a rapid half-century in the final of the latter. He had actually made his England debut two weeks earlier, impressing with another half-century on his one-day international debut against Australia. He struggled more however on the 1980–81 tour against the West Indies who had the most powerful bowling line-up in the world at the time and did not play for England again.

In 1983, "he suffered a sickening injury which threatened his eyesight when struck by George Ferris", but managed to recuperate and return to the sport.

Butcher initially agreed to join a rebel tour of South Africa in 1989, led by his county captain Mike Gatting. However, "he withdrew when media reaction threatened the success of his benefit".

Butcher retired from playing professional cricket in 1990, also a season in which Middlesex won the County Championship, although Butcher featured in the side little that year. In 1994, he was involved in an end-of-season venture called Cricket Legends which was not a financial success. More successfully, Butcher also took up coaching. He was interviewed for head coach of the West Indies in 2000, but was unsuccessful, with the job going to Roger Harper. Later in the year, he was appointed head coach of Bermuda, replacing previous part-time coach Allan Douglas. His first major engagement as coach was the 2000–01 Red Stripe Bowl. Butcher either left or was removed from his position only months before the 2001 ICC Trophy, and replaced by Mark Harper. In November 2004, he was appointed director of sports at the Cave Hill, Barbados, campus of the University of West Indies.

On 31 October 2022, Butcher was bestowed with the Freedom of the City of London. He was later appointed, in late December 2022, as a selector on the West Indies' Men's senior and youth team selection panels.