Jamaica remembers ‘Terrible Ws’

Elmo RODRIGOPULLE in West Indies

WORLD CUP: When hosts West Indies and Pakistan played the World Cup opener at Sabina Park in Jamaica, it was an occasion for celebration all over the world, March 13.

But while the celebrations were on there was also a bit of sadness because it was the death anniversary of one of West Indies former cricketing greats - the likeable Sir Frank Worrell who died 40 years ago on March 13.

The revival of West Indies cricket is credited to the late right hand batsman who was elegance with his stroke play. He was not a hard hitter of the ball. But would exquisitely see it roll to the boundary with rare timing and placement.

In the late 50s Caribbean cricket was famous for its individual play. There was absolutely no team work and the Windies were the whipping boys, especially of Australia and England.

Worrell took on the mantle of captain of West Indies cricket, if I remember right on the tour of Australia in 1960-61 series.

In the run up games to the Tests, the Windies were beaten by shield sides and not many gave the Windies chances to survive against the Aussies.

The Windies team of that era had the famous Sir Garfield Sobers and Rohan Kanhai among its other batting greats. What these two batting artists did later is history now.

On the eve of the First Test at the Gabba, Sir Frank Worrel gathered his warriors and told them that cricket is not an individual game. Playing as team is what matters and that his team, if they play as a team could beat the Aussies.

The team rallied round Worrell and what they did to the Aussies and the game although they were unlucky to lose the series needs no reiterating.

Along with the kangaroo captain Richie Benaud, Sir Frank brought crowds flocking into every venue, and that tour is best remembered for the first tied Test played at the Gabba.

This is what Sir Learie Constantie another legend of West Indies cricket wrote in the Wisden’s Cricketers’ Almanac: He was a happy man, a good man and a great man. The really tragic thing about his death at the age of 42 was that it cut him off from life when he still had plenty to offer the islands he loved!

Sir Frank Worrell died of leukaemia.

Continuing with the celebration of Worrell’s contribution to the beautiful game of cricket, the University of the West Indies, in collaboration with the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Committee, hosted the Sir Frank Worrell panel discussion.

Incidentally Sir Frank Worrell with two other West Indies greats - Sir Clyde Walcott and Everton Weekes showed their brilliance playing in Sri Lanka at the then famous Colombo Oval at Wanathamulla.

Together they were called and remembered as the ‘Terrible Ws’.

Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad