David Munden, the renowned cricket photographer and former county batsman, has died at the age of 60 after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease.Munden, who was a fixture on England cricket tours in the 1980s and 1990s, had been on Leicestershire's books from 1975 until 1981 when, as captain of their second XI, he signed off with a century in his final appearance against Worcestershire at Grace Road.
He was a contemporary of David Gower's at the club, with whom he also represented England Under 19s on their tour of the Caribbean in 1976.
"His passion for cricket was evident in the way he took to photographing the game once he realised he would not go on to enjoy a senior county career," said Mark Baldwin, the chairman of the Cricket Writers' Club.
"He was a highly popular and much-respected colleague in and around press boxes at home and abroad. Cruelly, David's illness eventually forced him to retire from his photographic work and he fought against the debilitations of Parkinson's for many years."
In 2015, Leicestershire held a fundraising testimonial for Munden at Grace Road, where his father Victor and uncles Donald and Paul had also represented the club.
The news of Munden's death comes in the wake of the loss of Dave Callaghan, the BBC Yorkshire broadcaster, and Neil Bell, the BBC South East sports reporter.
"In different ways and across different mediums the three of them contributed much to the promotion and presentation of cricket to a wide audience," added Baldwin, "and they will be remembered with huge affection. What they shared, meanwhile, was a deep love of cricket and respect for the game."