Fort Lauderdale (Florida): Lawrence Rowe, a great who keeps a low profile, made an exception and spoke to The Telegraph for over half-an-hour on Friday evening.

Rowe, 67, has been based in neighbouring Miami from 1984. He's a world-record holder, incidentally.

Excerpts...

Q Those who watched your 302 against England in Barbados, 42 years ago, considered themselves truly privileged...

A Thank you... Actually, till that 302 I hadn't made a first-class hundred outside Jamaica. I was to resume on 40-odd overnight and I remember the great (Sir) Garfield Sobers telling me that Barbados would get to see a big one from me. His words were inspirational.

Was Sir Garry your role model?

I was a great fan of Sobers, even though he was left-handed... I also admired the classy Rohan Kanhai, to take just one more name... Later, I played with greats like (Sir) Viv Richards, Alvin Kallicharan, Gordon Greenidge.

One hardly sees batsmen like you any more...

Well, the T20 format may have something to do with that. The younger lot have come up during the time of T20 and, so, have been heavily influenced by it. It's not that all batsmen have been influenced, for you have the example of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara who played T20 in very much the traditional way... Obviously, those who've been brought up in this era won't have the same technical skills. It's more about hitting rather than class batting.

To go back to your career... You developed an eye problem and became allergic to grass...

It's strange for a cricketer to pick up a grass allergy... I developed an eye problem on the tour of India in 1974-75, having started the tour as the world's top batsman, and had to be off the game for a year or thereabouts. On returning, my performances were not as consistent as they should have been... The allergy to grass was probably there for some time, but got diagnosed on the tour of England in 1976.

What happened was beyond your control, but must remain a regret...

Indeed, yes, but I'm proud of what I achieved in the years that I did play for the West Indies (1972-1980).

Right at the top of that would probably be the 214 and 100 not out on debut, against New Zealand, at Sabina Park...

I remain the only one to have got a double and a hundred on Test debut... That's why I've said I'm proud of what I did during my years with the West Indies. It's pretty remarkable that the record stands even after 44 years.

Was it tough adjusting to life after cricket?

No, because in the Caribbean, they don't idolise sportsmen in the manner it's done in some parts of the world. Like in India or the larger subcontinent. In the Caribbean, one can go about one's normal life rather comfortably.

You moved to Miami after leading rebel teams to South Africa in successive seasons... As a Black, were you at ease doing that?

I didn't see how we could have made things worse for Blacks in South Africa. If anything, there was just the chance that we could better things for them... In fact, look at where Black players have gone in today's South Africa.

So, your conscience didn't prick?

No. On the contrary, I thought it would be big for a team of Black cricketers to go to South Africa and play against the Whites... Surely, we couldn't have made things worse for the Blacks.

Did you move to Miami because you weren't welcomed back in Jamaica?

No, it wasn't that. I did go back home. I didn't move immediately.

But you and the others, like Kallicharan and Colin Croft got blacklisted...

That is correct. But, looking back, I feel we did more good than harm to the cause of the Blacks in South Africa... Later, the ban did get lifted. In fact, Ezra Moseley actually got to play for the West Indies despite having been a part of the rebel tours.

Relocating to another country couldn't have been easy... What did you do on settling down in Miami?

I got into business... Then, in recent years, I've been devoting all my time to the Lawrence Rowe Legendary Cricketers' Foundation, which does events.

What's the primary objective of the Foundation?

To give something back to the former West Indies players who got somewhat left out of the mainstream... We've already organised two events, one for Patrick Patterson and the one this year for Seymour Nurse... Sobers came for the first one, while Brian Lara has come on both occasions... Sir Wesley Hall has come... Rohan Kanhai, Sir Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, Gordon Greenidge... They've come too... We host a banquet dinner and play an exhibition match at this very ground (Central Broward Regional Park and Stadium)... I'm happy to have put together the Foundation.

You don't have an issue with sponsors...

Sponsors do come forward, otherwise it cannot be done.

Getting back to batting... After your retirement, who are the batsmen to have really caught your eye?

Oh, there have been some very good ones... The ones who, like me, batted correctly... Sachin Tendulkar, Lara, V.V.S. Laxman... There have been others as well, all batsmen of high quality... Batsmen in the traditional classical mould... Pakistan, too, had some great batsmen... Zaheer Abbas, Majid Khan... Quite a few globally, I'd say.

Your debut was at No.3, but that epic 302 came as an opener... What goes into the making of a good opener?

Anybody who can pick the line and length early... Do that and you're on your way, then... Anybody who quickly knows when to play forward or back.

The Sachins and Laras have retired... Who're the batsmen you expect to dominate headlines in the next decade or so?

I like Joe Root, I like Virat Kohli... I also like Kane Williamson... They're already making headlines.

What's special about Virat?

For one, Kohli plays T20 the same way that he bats in Test cricket, doesn't lift the ball much... We were taught to do that, play on the ground, but it's different now. Today, batsmen are taught to clear the field... The emphasis has changed.

Could the Virat vs Root rivalry match the one between Sachin and Lara?

Strong possibility, but I would not keep Williamson out of that bracket. Watch out for all three.

Why is it that the West Indies have been struggling in Test cricket?

Frankly, am not sure why... The money being put into the shortest version, T20, is probably distracting the younger players... There's this imbalance, financially, between Test cricket and the newest format. That, to my mind, needs to be addressed. Test cricket is hard work, not so T20. The dedication isn't there, the commitment (to Test cricket) is lacking.

Aren't you disappointed that Chris Gayle, a fellow-Jamaican, doesn't make himself available for Test cricket?

I'm not aware of what Gayle's problem is with the Board, but I wouldn't pick on Gayle, for he's on the downslide... His career could end soon... Generally, the selectors will have to invest in the younger batsmen... We've been so bad in recent years that the time has come to look ahead, not go back. That appears to be the way forward.

Would you have enjoyed playing the T20 format?

Not as much as Test cricket. And, really, I wouldn't like Test cricket to be undermined because of the money put into T20. Root out this imbalance.

Your advice for batsmen in the emerging category...

Don't know what to say as I was taught to play along the ground. Nowadays, they're taught to clear the field... My advice would be to compartmentalise one's batting... Play differently in the longest version, take a different approach in the shortest format. A good batsman should be able to play all the versions. Quality, as they say, is permanent.

What's the biggest driver for success?

Hard work, lots of it. You work for your team, but that apart, you also work for yourself. Work very hard.

Coming from a different generation, your take on match-fixing and spot-fixing?

It's scary... Scary that one player alone could do certain things, that you don't need five-six to be involved... I'm amazed at the need to fix when there already is so much money on offer in the sport.

One more... How have you kept yourself remarkably fit?

(Laughs) After cricket, I'd play tennis... Stopped it because of a back problem, but haven't stopped watching the game... Before you ask, let me say that I'm a big admirer of Roger Federer, who plays tennis in the way Sachin and Lara played cricket. With class.