Sir Frank Worrell, Ridley Jacobs inducted into Hall of Fame
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CMC
Saturday, August 27, 2005
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ST JOHN'S, Antigua (CMC) - Legendary captain Sir Frank Worrell and recently-retired wicket-keeper/batsman Ridley Jacobs became the latest inductees into the Sticky Wicket West Indies Cricket Hall of Fame at a ceremony here late Thursday.
Sir Frank Worrell, the first black man to lead the West Indies in the 1960s, has been credited with "uniting islands into cohesive world champions".
In 51 Test matches, he made 3,860 runs in 87 innings, including 39 centuries with a top score of 261.
Jacobs, who quit the international scene last April, confounded his detractors with a string of sterling performances with bat and gloves after he made his belated Test debut in 1998/99.
He scored 2,577 runs in 65 Tests, averaging 28.31, and 1,865 runs in 147 One-Day International (ODI) matches, averaging 23.32.
But it was with his gloves that Jacobs may have made his biggest contribution as he became the second Windies wicket-keeper to achieve 200 dismissals.
"The contribution made by both these players to the West Indies team is a source of delight to cricket fans in the Caribbean, their names are familiar to all who know and love the game," said Chris Dehring, managing director and chief executive officer of ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 Inc.
Dehring described Sir Frank as "a truly great all-rounder, named Cricketer of the Year by Wisden in 1951, the first black man to captain the West Indies team for an entire series - against Australia in 1960 - at a time when many countries in the region were seeking independence."
The cricket administrator said Jacobs, a left-handed player, was a "skilled wicket-keeper and staunch team player whose determination won the respect of his teammates and his opponents."
Jacobs was applauded by former captain and fast bowler Courtney Walsh, who said he nicknamed the Antiguan "soldier" during their playing days.
"Ridley was not just a teammate though, he was a friend and the fact that he is known for his reliability is no accident. Rock solid both in physique and personality, I truly enjoyed the sense of complete confidence he instilled in me as a bowler. I knew he would be catching those wicket balls every time for me.
"His achievements in the sport are a testament to his dedication and hard work. He gave his all in every match he played," Walsh said.
The late Sir Frank was represented by his daughter and grandson, while Jacobs, who is on tour with the Antigua and Barbuda national cricket team in England, was represented by one of his sisters at the ceremony held at the Stanford Cricket Ground, adjacent to the Hall of Fame.
Sir Frank and Jacobs joined another 12 West Indies stars inducted in the first edition of the Hall of Fame in 2003.
They were selected from a public voting process.
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