Sir Frank Mortimer Maglinne Worrell (1 August 1924 – 13 March 1967), sometimes referred to by his nickname of Tae, was a

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...

cricketer and Jamaican senator. A stylish right-handed

batsman In cricket, batting is the act or skill of hitting the ball with a bat to score runs and prevent the loss of one's wicket. Any player who is currently batting is, since September 2021, officially referred to as a batter (historically, the ...

and useful left-arm

seam bowler Seam bowling is a bowling technique in cricket whereby the ball is deliberately bowled on to its seam, to cause a random deviation when the ball bounces. Practitioners are known as ''seam bowlers'' or seamers. Seam bowling is generally classed ...

, he became famous in the 1950s as the second black captain of the

West Indies cricket team The West Indies cricket team, nicknamed the Windies, is a multi-national men's cricket team representing the mainly Commonwealth Caribbean, English-speaking countries and territories in the Caribbean region and administered by Cricket West I ...

. Along with

Everton Weekes Sir Everton DeCourcy Weekes, KCMG, GCM, OBE (26 February 19251 July 2020) was a cricketer from Barbados. A right-handed batsman, he was known as one of the hardest hitters in world cricket. Weekes holds the record for consecutive Test hundre ...

and

Clyde Walcott Sir Clyde Leopold Walcott KA, GCM, OBE (17 January 1926 – 26 August 2006) was a West Indian cricketer. Walcott was a member of the "three W's", the other two being Everton Weekes and Frank Worrell: all were very successful batsmen from Bar ...

, he formed what was known as "The Three Ws" of the West Indian cricket. He was the first of the two batsmen to have been involved in two 500-run

partnerships A partnership is an arrangement where parties, known as business partners, agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests. The partners in a partnership may be individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments o ...

first-class cricket First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officiall ...

, the latter being

Ravindra Jadeja Ravindrasinh Anirudhsinh Jadeja (born 6 December 1988), commonly known as Ravindra Jadeja, is an Indian international cricketer. He is an all-rounder, who bats left-handed and bowls left-arm orthodox spin. He was the captain of the Chennai Su ...

. The

Frank Worrell Trophy The Frank Worrell Trophy is awarded to the winner of the West Indies– Australia Test match series in cricket. The trophy is named after Frank Worrell who was the first black captain of the West Indies. It was first awarded at the end of the 1 ...

is awarded to the winner of the frequent Test series between Australia and West Indies He spent some time studying economics and playing in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. A memorial service was held in his honour in

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

, the first such honour for a sportsman. In 2009, Worrell was inducted into the

ICC Cricket Hall of Fame The ICC Cricket Hall of Fame recognises "the achievements of the legends of the game from cricket's long and illustrious history". It was launched by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in Dubai on 2 January 2009, in association with the Fed ...

. He is widely regarded as the

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...

of Cricket.

Career

Frank Worrell was born in Barbados, within a mile of its Test ground. He played first class cricket for Barbados when he first came to prominence. By 1947 his mother had moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and his father was away at sea most of the time, and Worrell moved to

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

. Thereafter he played cricket for Jamaica. As a player for

, Worrell made his debut in 1947–48 versus the England team of

Gubby Allen Sir George Oswald Browning "Gubby" Allen CBE (31 July 190229 November 1989) was a cricketer who captained England in eleven Test matches. In first-class matches, he played for Middlesex and Cambridge University. A fast bowler and hard-hittin ...

. Following this series he settled in England to play for Radcliffe, Lancashire in the Central Lancashire League and to read economics at

Manchester University , mottoeng = Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity , established = 2004 – University of Manchester Predecessor institutions: 1956 – UMIST (as university college; university 1994) 1904 – Victoria University of Manchester 1880 – Victoria Univer ...

. He made his highest Test score of 261 against England at

Trent Bridge Trent Bridge Cricket Ground is a cricket ground mostly used for Test, One-Day International and county cricket located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England, just across the River Trent from the city of Nottingham. Trent Bridge is also ...

in 1950, and was a

Wisden Cricketer of the Year The ''Wisden'' Cricketers of the Year are cricketers selected for the honour by the annual publication ''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'', based primarily on their "influence on the previous English season". The award began in 1889 with the naming ...

for 1951. Following a successful campaign led by

C. L. R. James Cyril Lionel Robert James (4 January 1901 – 31 May 1989),Fraser, C. Gerald, '' The New York Times'', 2 June 1989. who sometimes wrote under the pen-name J. R. Johnson, was a Trinidadian historian, journalist and Marxist. His works are i ...

, who was then editor of ''The Nation'' in Trinidad, the period of white Test captaincy in the West Indies came to an end. Worrell became the first black cricketer to captain the

for an entire series, thus breaking the colour barriers then found in West Indian cricket. He led the side on two particularly notable tours. The first was to Australia in 1960–61. Both Worrell and his opposing captain,

Richie Benaud Richard Benaud (; 6 October 1930 – 10 April 2015) was an Australian cricketer who, after his retirement from international cricket in 1964, became a highly regarded commentator on the game. Benaud was a Test cricket all-rounder, blending l ...

, encouraged their teams to play attacking cricket. The first Test of the series ended in a dramatic tie. Though West Indies lost the series 2–1, with one draw in addition to the tie, they took much credit for contributing to the series. Such was their performance and conduct on Australian soil that they were given a large ticker-tape parade in Australia at the end of their tour. On 3 February 1962,

Nari Contractor Nariman Jamshedji "Nari" Contractor (born 7 March 1934) is a former Indian cricket player, who was a left-handed opening batsman. His professional career ended after a serious injury. Cricket career Contractor began his first-class career, p ...

, the captain of the touring Indian team, received a career-ending head injury from a bouncer bowled by West Indies fast bowler

Charlie Griffith Sir Charles Christopher Griffith, KA, SCM (born 14 December 1938) is a West Indian former cricketer who played in 28 Tests from 1960 to 1969. He formed a formidable fast bowling partnership with Wes Hall during the 1960s, but experienced a nu ...

.Contractor has said: "It was as Griffith was to deliver the fourth ball of his second over that somebody opened a window in the pavilion. There were no sight screen at that time and my 100 percent concentration wasn’t on that delivery. I saw it just inches away before it hit me. But it isn’t true that I ducked." Quoted in Arzan Sam Wadia, "Nari Contractor: ‘I don’t mind living it all over again’"
''Parsi Khabar'', 7 March 2009. Worrell was the first player from both sides to donate blood to the injured Contractor, which saved his life. In 1963, West Indies toured England. They were again popular, and this time they also won the series 3–1, and it was West Indies' second series victory in England after their 3–1 win in 1950. Worrell retired after the West Indies–England series. When he left professional cricket, he became Warden of Irvine Hall at the

University of the West Indies The University of the West Indies (UWI), originally University College of the West Indies, is a public university system established to serve the higher education needs of the residents of 17 English-speaking countries and territories in th ...

, and was appointed to the Jamaican Senate by Sir

Alexander Bustamante Sir William Alexander Clarke Bustamante (born William Alexander Clarke; 24 February 1884 – 6 August 1977) was a Jamaican politician and labour leader, who, in 1962, became the first prime minister of Jamaica. Early life and education He was ...

. He strongly supported a closer political union between the nations of the Caribbean. He was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

for his services to cricket in 1964. MenziesHassettLindwallWorrell

Worrell managed the West Indies during the 1964–65 visit by Australia. He accompanied the team to India in the winter of 1966–67. Worrell was the first West Indian to

carry his bat In cricket, the term carry the bat (or carry one's bat) refers to an opening batsman (no. 1 and 2) who is not dismissed ("not out") when the team innings is closed. The term is mainly used when the innings closes after all 10 wickets have falle ...

in a Test innings. It was while in India that he was diagnosed with

leukaemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ' ...

. He died aged 42, a month after returning to Jamaica. A memorial service was held in his honour in

, the first such honour for a sportsman, the next being Bobby Moore in 1993.

Legacy

Trophy

Since the 1960–61 series, the

is awarded to the winner of the Test series between Australia and West Indies.

Ground

The

Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground The Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground is a cricket stadium in Saint Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. The stadium is named after Frank Worrell, a West Indies cricketer. First-class cricket was played on the ground three times during the 1970s, duri ...

, also or formerly known as University of West Indies Ground, is a cricket

stadium A stadium ( : stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand o ...

Saint Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

. The

Sir Frank Worrell Cricket Ground The Sir Frank Worrell Cricket Ground (formerly known as the University of the West Indies Ground) is a cricket ground in Kingston, Jamaica. History The ground is located on the campus of the University of the West Indies at Mona in Kingston, ...

at the universities Mona Campus in Jamaica in also named for Worrell.

Banknote

In March 2002, "to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Central Bank of Barbados" a limited-edition $5 banknote bearing Worrell's likeness was issued.

Stamp

In 1988 he was celebrated on the $2 Barbadian stamp alongside the

Barbados Cricket Buckle The Barbados Cricket Buckle is a repoussé engraving on a belt buckle of a slave playing cricket in Barbados circa 1780–1810. It is believed to be the only known image of a slave playing cricket and is thought to be the oldest surviving artif ...

University halls and lecture

The annual Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Lecture was instituted at

(UWI)

Cave Hill Campus Cave Hill, St. Michael, is a suburban area situated in the parish of Saint Michael, Barbados. It is located about 4 km north-west of the capital city Bridgetown, along the west coast of Barbados. The University of the West Indies at Cave H ...

, Barbados by Professor

Hilary Beckles Sir Hilary McDonald Beckles KA (born 11 August 1955) is a Barbadian historian. He is the current vice-chancellor of the University of the West Indies (UWI) and chairman of the CARICOM Reparations Commission. Educated at the University of Hu ...

. The inaugural lecture, "Sir Frank and the rise of West Indies cricket" was delivered by

Michael Manley Michael Norman Manley (10 December 1924 – 6 March 1997) was a Jamaican politician who served as the fourth Prime Minister of Jamaica from 1972 to 1980 and from 1989 to 1992. Manley championed a democratic socialist program, and has been d ...

in 1994. Nearby one of the Halls of Residence is named after him.

Memorial Committee

In 2007, the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Committee was founded to mark the 40th anniversary of his death (which coincided with the opening match – West Indies Pakistan, Sabina Park, Jamaica of the ICC Cricket World Cup hosted across the islands).

Blood donation drives

In 2009, the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Blood Drive was begun in

, inaugurated by the 74-year-old Nari Contractor, to whom Worrell had donated blood after his head injury in 1962. In remembrance of this, the

Cricket Association of Bengal Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) is the governing body for cricket in the Indian state of West Bengal. Its headquarters are located in the Eden Gardens stadium, Kolkata. It is a full member of Board of Control for Cricket in India. It gover ...

organises a blood donation drive on this day every year and the day is commemorated as Sir Frank Worrell Day in the state of

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...

in India.

Food outlet branding

Tibb's Frankie, since 1969 is an Indian-centred chain of over 150 stuffed, crispened pita outlets named after him as the founder's favourite cricketer; its signature and custom wraps are "Frankies". An outlet operates in the O2 Business Tower in

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

Films and Entertainment

He has also made a special/ Guest appearance in Bollywood Indian Romantic Comedy Hindi Film ''Around the World'' (1967 film). He had a small role with actor

Om Prakash Om Prakash (born Om Prakash Chibber 19 December 1919 – 21 February 1998) was an Indian film actor. He was born in Jammu as Om Prakash Chibber and went on to become a well-known character actor of Bollywood. His most well-known movies are Nam ...

and

Mehmood Mahmud is a transliteration of the male Arabic given name (), common in most parts of the Islamic world. It comes from the Arabic triconsonantal root Ḥ-M-D, meaning ''praise'', along with ''Muhammad''. Siam Mahmud *Mahmood (singer) (born 1 ...

Biographies

*''Frank Worrell: The Career of a Great Cricketer'', 1963, by Ernest Eytle

Footnotes and citations

;Notes ;References

External links

*
Article on Worrell
{{DEFAULTSORT:Worrell, Frank People from Saint Michael, Barbados West Indian cricketers of 1945–46 to 1969–70 West Indies Test cricketers West Indies Test cricket captains Free Foresters cricketers Barbados cricketers Jamaican cricketers Commonwealth XI cricketers Wisden Cricketers of the Year Wisden Leading Cricketers in the World Cricket players and officials awarded knighthoods Jamaican Knights Bachelor 1924 births 1967 deaths People associated with the University of the West Indies Alumni of the University of Manchester Deaths from leukemia Members of the Senate of Jamaica Deaths from cancer in Jamaica People educated at Combermere School Jamaica cricketers Barbadian cricketers Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers A. E. R. Gilligan's XI cricketers