The West Indies cricket team, one of the most entertaining teams to play the sport, also known as Windies in cricket, has produced many mind-blowing cricketers and many match winners. The West Indian cricket team represents the English-speaking countries and territories of the Caribbean. Although the West Indian team has fallen from its grace, some players mark their glory days in the sport. And also helped the Windies win the ICC cricket world cup twice (1975 and 1979). The current squad represents Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad, and Tobago. Here we will look at the top 10 Jamaicans who played for the West Indies.
1. Jimmy Adams
James Clive Adams, also known as Jimmy Adams, born in 1968 at Port Maria, was a former Jamaican to play for West Indies till 2004. Jimmy Adams was a left-handed batsman with an average of 41.26 in tests and 28.62 in ODI. Jimmy was also known for his gun fielding at the gully position. Jimmy was also appointed the captain of the West Indies but unfortunately could not hold the place for a long time. After the tour of Australia, he lost his captaincy and his position in playing 11.
2. Gerry Alexander
Franz Copeland Murray Alexander, also known as Gerry Alexander, was a Kingston-born Jamaican cricketer who played for the west indies as an attacking right-handed batter and wicketkeeper born on November 2, 1928. Gerry played 25 test matches for the Windies with an average of around 30. Franz Copeland Murray Alexander was the last white man to captain the Windies team with a test career of 7 fifties and one hundred. Gerry took his last breath on April 16, 2011.
3.Marlon Samuels
Marlon Nathaniel Samuels is a top-order batsman and right arm off break bowler Kingston-born Jamaican cricketer who played for west indies from 2000-2018. Samuels played all three formats for west indies while captaining the ODI side. Samuels made his test debut against Australia in 2000 and was also a part of the world cup winning squad in 2012 and 2016 (ICC world twenty20). Marlon was named the Wisden cricketer of the year in 2013.
4. Jeff Dujon
Peter Jeffrey Leroy Dujon was a right-handed batsman and wicketkeeper born in Kingston-Jamaica, who made his debut for windies in 1981 against Australia. He played for a decade, scoring 10000 runs with an average of 40 also 447 catches and 22 stumpings in his wicket-keeping
career. Named Wisden cricketer of the year in 1989 and is now working as a commentator.
5. Lawrence Rowe
Lawrence Rowe was born on January 8, 1949, in Whitfield Town, Kingston, Jamaica, nicknamed "Yagga ''. Lawrence George Rowe was a right-handed Jamaican to play for the windies from 1972 to 1980. Michael Holding describes him as the best batsman he ever saw. Rowe played 30 tests scoring 2057 runs with an average of 43.55.
6. George Headley
George Alphonso Headley was born on May 30, 1909, in Colon, Panama played before world war II, scoring 2190 runs with an average of around 60, representing the west indies from 1930 to 1954. Headly was a right-handed batsman and was considered one of the best batters who played for the west indies. He was chosen one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1934.
7. Michael Holding
One of the greatest fast bowlers, Michael Anthony Holding, known as Whispering Death was born on February 16, 1954. A right-arm fast bowler, Holding was a part of the fearsome bowling lineup which destroyed its opponent in the late seventies and early eighties. He played 60 test matches with a total wicket of 249 with an average of 23.68. Michael holds 13 five wickets haul with the best bowling figure of 8/92.
8. Andre Russell
Andre Dwayne Russell, the Jamaican striker, known by the nickname Dre Russ was born on April 29, 1988 (age 34) in Kingston, is a west Indian middle-order batsman. He is considered one of the best finishers in t20 cricket. He has scored 741 runs in t20I with a strike rate of 156.00. Currently, Russell is only playing franchise cricket.
9. Courtney Walsh
Courtney Andrew Walsh, a former Jamaican, who represented the west indies from 1984 to 2001, was a right-arm fast bowler and one of the Two C ( with Curtly Ambrose ). Walsh played 132 test matches with 519 wickets with an average of 24.44 with 22 five wickets haul in tests and the best bowling figure of 7/37. Walsh played his last test in 2001 against South Africa.
10. Chris Gayle
Christopher Henry Gayle, also known as the Universe Boss, is a right- handed Jamaican six-hitting machine to play for the west indies. The storm was born on September 21, 1979, and is a batting allrounder. He is one of those who have a triple century in test one among the ODI double centurions and also has a couple of T20 hundred. Gayle played from 1999 to 2021 for the west indies. He is one of the T20 stars whom bowlers fear to bowl, his magnificent record of 175*(66) in franchise T20 cricket. Thus Chris makes it to the top of the list of Jamaicans to play for the windies.
