Frank Worrell - most stylish of all batters?

[Harsh Thakor]

Very few cricketers or sportsman bestowed grace or sportsmanship at such a height as Sir Frank Worrell, on and off the field .Worrell reminded one of a priest bowing before a pulpit. Worrell transcended cricketing aestheticism or barriers in artistry in heavenly regions. giving the game its soul. When playing he never abused opponents, dealing with those around him with the same grace he caressed a cricket ball.

His batting gave vibrations of lotus blooming in full. The ensemble of his strokes was the game’s equivalent of a Musical conjeto.His only flaw was his execution of the hook shot or in tackling the short pitched delivery. I rank him amongst the 3 most elegant right handed batsmen ever.


He was the first black captain to lead West Indies when appointed skipper in 1960-61 Frank Worrell was a mascot for pride and dignity of the Afro-American race.Worrell was the pioneer in the black man being the flesh and blood of West Indies Cricket. Earlier it was a sheer monopoly of the white man.

Worrell carried the mantle of a mascot for the coloured people. Few sportsperson ever contributed more in elevating the pride of the black people. Very sadly he left us at the very tender at the tender age of 43 in 1967, because of leukamia.Cricket had truly lost it's apostle.

Overall in test cricket Worrell scored 3860 runs at an average of 49.48 and 9 centuries in 51 test matches. In 1st class cricket Worrell's statistics were simply staggering, averaging over 54.with 308 being his highest score. On the 1949 Commonwealth tour of India, Pakistan and Ceylon, he displayed phenomenal consistency, averaging over 74 overall and amassing 1600 runs..Notably Worrell also was a participant in a 502 run partnership with Trevor Goddard in 1943 and a 574 run partnership with Clyde Walcott in 1948.

Worrell also was an effective bowler capturing 69 wickets at an average of around 38,with best figures of 7-70.In first class Cricket he had 349 scalps at an average of around 29,wih 13 five wicket hauls.

Worrell was part of the famous trio of 'W's with Everton Weekes and Clyde Walcott. His batting was in striking contrast to that of Weekes and Worrell who carried bat like a bludgeon. However his timing and placement was so spectacular that he could score runs at an even faster speed, than his compatriots.

Statistically he was overshadowed by Weekes and Walcott in his day, George Headley earlier, and later Gary Sobers,Viv Richards and Brian Lara. However to me none manifested purity or style at an equal scale.


Frank.Worrell was the best West Indies captain of all, winning 9 out of 15 tests., and ranks amongst the best ever skippers in cricket history. Worrell scored his best innings in the most challenging circumstances or conditions. Overall as a cricketer generally he is ranked below the likes of Viv, Sobers, Lara, Marshall,Headley and Weekes. The 2000 edition of Wisden ranked Worrell at 5th equal place, amongst the cricketers of the last century. Writers John Woodcock and Cristopher Martin Jenkins ranks Worrell amongst the 40 best cricketers ever. Geoff Armstrong places him at 26th, place above even Weekes, Headley and Walcott, on grounds of his contribution as a leader. Some ex cricketers chose Worrell in their all-Time test XI.Summing all criteria, I would choose Worrell amongst the 40 best cricketers of all time and amongst West Indies cricketers, only behind Sobers,Viv Richards,Brian Lara ,and Malcolm Marshall.Taking into account his prowess as a leader and bowler, arguably b a whisker he stands ahead of Weekes,Walcott or Headley.

 

[charlie007]

I mean, I support and occasionally like these threads of folklore you create but can’t agree with all these hyperboles about players you have not even watched.
You write things like “Statistically he was overshadowed by Weekes and Walcott in his day, George Headley earlier, and later Gary Sobers,Viv Richards and Brian Lara. <B>However to me none manifested purity or style at an equal scale.”</B> I mean, the guy is 100 years old for god’s sake! How old are YOU? Are you telling me you watched him so much of him and his purity and style? That’s when one starts feeling you say things just because you ran out of stuff to say about the player.

“In 1st class cricket Worrell's statistics were simply <B>staggering, averaging over 54 </B>.with 308 being his highest score.” I mean, really? Jaiswal averages 80 in FC cricket and a large number of County cricketers in England and India FC players do average in 50’s quite easily.

“Frank Worrell was the best West Indies captain of all, winning 9 out of 15 tests., and ranks amongst the best ever skippers in cricket history. ”

Those 9 wins include 5 wins against a no-name India in 1950’s in West Indies. He lost more against Australia and England than he won!

I appreciate you bringing all these players and appreciating them, but be true to yourself and don’t hype them so much that you lose all credibility yourself.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

I mean, I support and occasionally like these threads of folklore you create but can’t agree with all these hyperboles about players you have not even watched.
You write things like “Statistically he was overshadowed by Weekes and Walcott in his day, George Headley earlier, and later Gary Sobers,Viv Richards and Brian Lara. <B>However to me none manifested purity or style at an equal scale.”</B> I mean, the guy is 100 years old for god’s sake! How old are YOU? Are you telling me you watched him so much of him and his purity and style? That’s when one starts feeling you say things just because you ran out of stuff to say about the player.

“In 1st class cricket Worrell's statistics were simply <B>staggering, averaging over 54 </B>.with 308 being his highest score.” I mean, really? Jaiswal averages 80 in FC cricket and a large number of County cricketers in England and India FC players do average in 50’s quite easily.

“Frank Worrell was the best West Indies captain of all, winning 9 out of 15 tests., and ranks amongst the best ever skippers in cricket history. ”

Those 9 wins include 5 wins against a no-name India in 1950’s in West Indies. He lost more against Australia and England than he won!

I appreciate you bringing all these players and appreciating them, but be true to yourself and don’t hype them so much that you lose all credibility yourself.

You are entitled to your opinion and I appreciate your appraisal.Still I have seen Worrell on video or youtube to witness his great style .We do not have to personally see icons to have proof of their greatness.In FC he was outstanding in Commonwealth games in India .I have not hyped by pacing him amongst 5 best Calypso cricketers,considering his role in shaping cricket history of his country.Writer Geoff Armstrong placed him at 32 nd place in choice of 100 best cricketers.Some even chosen in all time X1.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Majid Khan may have been more stylish

 

[sweep_shot]

Never seen him live. But, he seems to be a legend. A trophy was named after him too.

 

[Markhor]

Never seen him live. But, he seems to be a legend. A trophy was named after him too.

The parallel would be Imran Khan as a unifying leader for the West Indies not to mention a terrific batsman. There's a book on him released this year by Vaneisa Baksh which I reviewed here. Unfortunately I can't recommend it. His relatives and peers are either long gone or reluctant to speak candidly, and unfortunately the West Indies haven't archived their history particularly well so there's little new insight.

It thinly covers Worrell's most memorable series, the 1960/61 tour of Australia, where hundreds of thousands of Aussies went to bid the visitors farewell after basically that era's 2005 Ashes. On YouTube you can watch the post-series presentation ceremony where the Aussie fans sang "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" to him while Worrell, Richie Benaud (Australia's captain) and Don Bradman (ACB Chairman) looked visibly moved.

Forget spirit of cricket, that clip epitomises the spirit of humanity and brings a tear to my eye even though it's way before my time. In an era of White Australia, years before the American Civil Rights Act and Jim Crow still a fresh memory - here's thousands of white Aussies in the whitest of sports serenading a black leader.

The reason he's somewhat forgotten is he sadly passed away aged 42 to leukaemia (sadly in 1998 his daughter also died young at 48). He missed out on the years of after dinner speaking engagements. He was a dapper and telegenic man who could've worked as a broadcaster like his opposite number in that 60/61 series would do. And he certainly would've been a respected administrator - maybe just maybe arresting WI's decline in the 1990s.

He's famous in India for helping to save the life of a player called Nari Contractor who received a sickening blow from a Charlie Griffith bouncer by providing a blood transfusion.

Nari Contractor is still alive today at the age of 90 (hopefully he'll ton up). Despite Worrell's own life being tragically cut short, he extended another man's.

 

[sweep_shot]

The parallel would be Imran Khan as a unifying leader for the West Indies not to mention a terrific batsman. There's a book on him released this year by Vaneisa Baksh which I reviewed here. Unfortunately I can't recommend it. His relatives and peers are either long gone or reluctant to speak candidly, and unfortunately the West Indies haven't archived their history particularly well so there's little new insight.

It thinly covers Worrell's most memorable series, the 1960/61 tour of Australia, where hundreds of thousands of Aussies went to bid the visitors farewell after basically that era's 2005 Ashes. On YouTube you can watch the post-series presentation ceremony where the Aussie fans sang "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" to him while Worrell, Richie Benaud (Australia's captain) and Don Bradman (ACB Chairman) looked visibly moved.

Forget spirit of cricket, that clip epitomises the spirit of humanity and brings a tear to my eye even though it's way before my time. In an era of White Australia, years before the American Civil Rights Act and Jim Crow still a fresh memory - here's thousands of white Aussies in the whitest of sports serenading a black leader.

The reason he's somewhat forgotten is he sadly passed away aged 42 to leukaemia (sadly in 1998 his daughter also died young at 48). He missed out on the years of after dinner speaking engagements. He was a dapper and telegenic man who could've worked as a broadcaster like his opposite number in that 60/61 series would do. And he certainly would've been a respected administrator - maybe just maybe arresting WI's decline in the 1990s.

He's famous in India for helping to save the life of a player called Nari Contractor who received a sickening blow from a Charlie Griffith bouncer by providing a blood transfusion.

Nari Contractor is still alive today at the age of 90 (hopefully he'll ton up). Despite Worrell's own life being tragically cut short, he extended another man's.

I see.

Thanks for the detailed post.