Remembering Frank Worrell, the legend

July 29, 2024, 11:17 AM IST

Among the cricketers renowned for their remarkable contributions both on and off the pitch, Frank Worrell, the West Indies captain and all-rounder, deserves a distinguished spot. The stylish right-handed batsman and left-arm fast-medium bowler’s birth centenary will be commemorated on August 1. Frank graced the field in 51 Test matches, claiming 69 wickets and amassing 3,860 runs, with a top score of 261 and an average of 49.48. And his leadership saw the West Indies triumph in nine out of 15 matches while conceding only three losses. Beyond cricket, his legacy includes his role as a Senator in the Jamaican House of Representatives.

He was appointed the first black captain — George Headley, who was also skipper earlier, led for only one Test –- following a prolonged campaign against social barriers of colour and class. Frank not only proved to be a leader who could win games, but also one who instilled a sense of  unity, dignity and enterprise in the team. He was the first West Indian to be knighted for his achievements in cricket. The honour had been conferred upon Sir Learie Constantine earlier but for services in social welfare.

 An instance of the goodwill he earned from fans outside his country is the warmhearted farewell he and the team got after the 1960-61 series in Australia. Newspaper reports said thousands lined the streets in Melbourne cheering them for their stout-hearted cricket and their sportsmanship.  Australia had won the series 2-1 with the first Test at Brisbane ending in a tie, the first in history. The last game at Melbourne was a tightly-fought thriller which Richie Benaud’s men won, but the contest is remembered as one that was evenly-poised. Frank had won hearts. And the Australian board named the prize for the bilateral matches, the Frank Worrell Trophy.

Supporters in England were no less fervent. His last Test, the fifth and last in the 1963 series, at the Oval was suffused with a carnival-like mood. When he came in to bat with the score at 198 for 5, cheers filled the stadium. English skipper Ted Dexter shook his head while the others applauded. But Frank didn’t stay long at the crease; he was bowled by a Statham delivery for nine. He didn’t get a chance to bat in the second innings as the West Indies won the match by eight wickets. The crowd gave him a standing ovation as he walked back to the pavilion for the last time. 

In India too, Frank was admired widely for his cricket and his dignified bearing. He rated his double century at Kanpur in an unofficial Test in 1950 between the Commonwealth XI led by Jock Livingstone and India captained by Vijay Hazare as the best innings. Not because his score of 223 was big or that it was stroke-filled, but because the game was played on coir matting and the Indian bowlers in general bowled an accurate line. Hiralal Gaekwad, who bowled left arm medium-fast or spin, and off-spinner Ghulam Ahmed made them toil for their runs. But Frank stood firm, forged partnerships with Livingstone (80) and George Tribe (61), and took the total to 448.

Years later when India played a colony match in Barbados, Nari Contractor was grievously struck on the head while trying to duck a Charlie Griffith bouncer. Doctors decided to perform a surgery at once and said B+ group blood was required. Five persons including Worrell who was there watching the match, offered to donate blood. The other four, as Chandu Borde said at an event, were Bapu Nadkarni, Polly Umrigar, Borde himself and journalist K N Prabhu.

Among those pleased with Frank’s statesman-like conduct on and off the field was Dhir Muni Lal, then Indian high commissioner in Trinidad. The diplomat who was also a cricketer had known Frank for a while, invited him on behalf of the Indian government to visit universities and speak to students. It was during that tour that Punjab University conferred the honorary doctorate of law degree on him. 

Frank’s popularity spurred Hindi movie director Pachhi to cast the cricketer in a guest appearance in the film “Around the World”, released in 1967. Starring Raj Kapoor and Rajshree, the film is about a young man who wins a lottery and goes on a trip around the world, during which he learns some valuable lessons in life and finds love. And as in the mix of popular cinema those days, comedy was a crucial element and this could mean buffoonery and mockery of drunkenness as well. Comedian Omprakash meets Frank Worrell — playing himself and dressed in flannels — and asks him some senseless questions: whether he knows Milkha Singh, “India’s greatest fast bowler”; Shammi Kapoor, “India’s greatest wicket-keeper” and Mohammad Rafi, “India’s opening batsman who’s always not out”. Frank handles his blabber with poise and walks away. Before the film was being readied for release, Frank Worrell took seriously ill lost the battle to cancer. He was 42. Director Pacchi added a dedication to the cricketer.

Barbados gave him a state funeral. In England, at Westminster Abbey, a special memorial service was held in his honour, the first time for a sportsperson. EW Swanton, cricket writer and commentator, delivered the address describing him as a modest and warm person who had an “unruffled serenity” about him.