Sir Frank Worrell

Who is Sir Frank Worrell?

Sir Frank Mortimer Maglinne Worrell was born on 1 August 1924 in Bridgetown, Barbados. Alongside fellow Barbadians Everton Weekes and Clyde Walcott, he formed the celebrated batting trio known as "the Three Ws." He made his West Indies debut in 1947-48 and scored a career-best 261 against England at Trent Bridge in 1950, earning selection as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1951. Following a campaign led by the writer C. L. R. James against the tradition of reserving the West Indies captaincy for white players, Worrell became the first black cricketer appointed to captain the team for a full series, leading the celebrated 1960-61 tour of Australia, whose opening Test finished in cricket's first-ever tie. He was knighted in the 1964 New Year Honours for services to cricket and went on to serve as a senator in the West Indian parliament, becoming a respected advocate for regional unity. Diagnosed with leukaemia, he died in Jamaica on 13 March 1967 at the age of forty-two; a memorial service held for him at Westminster Abbey was the first ever held there for a sportsman. He was named a National Hero of Barbados in 1998.

Sources: Wikipedia, "Frank Worrell" · Barbados Today, "Saluting Sir Frank Worrell – the icon and statesman who changed the world of cricket" · Village Voice News, "Sir Frank Worrell Unified West Indies Team and Set It on the Path to Glory"