2006 Nominee: Reverend Wes Hall

Sun, Nov 19, '06

A man for all the people, all the time. That's the life and times of Wes Hall -- fast bowler, selector, manager, administrator, politician, Reverend. You can add to these father, mentor, hero, and friend. Hall fulfilled these roles and more as part of his immense contribution to the uplifting of the people of Barbados and the West Indies.

It's hard to believe that this giant of a man -- who was among the most feared fast bowlers in the history of the game -- started his cricket life as a wicket-keeper. But then again, it might not be that hard to believe, because he is the kind of fellow to take on any challenge. He came from humble beginnings and throughout life met all challenges head on, and never once did he waver.

Tall, well-built and handsome, he switched from wicket-keeping to fast bowling, a role he could handle much easier and quickly emerged as the first great post-war fast bowling hero of West Indies cricket.

With his gold chain bouncing around his neck, he made the ball fly at the batsman's torso, and he also had a devastating yorker. After one of the longest run-ups in Test cricket, he bowled genuinely fast - and he could do it all day, as in his marathon spell in the famous Lord's Test of 1963, when he bowled unchanged for over three hours on the final day. His partnership with Charlie Griffith on that tour was the stuff of English nightmares.

Hall enjoyed the dramatic moment as much as anyone -- he bowled the famous final over of the tied Test -- at Brisbane in 1960. He took 192 wickets in 48 Tests (exactly four a match), with best return of 7 for 69 against England at 1960, when he was at his menacingly quickest. In all first-class cricket, he took 546 wickets in 170 matches.

"What is life if it is not a life of service," he once said. "The aim of everyman should be to help his fellow man. We have been given much and we have to give back even more. West Indies cricket is ours and we have to cherish and protect it."

With this in mind he went on to serve West Indies cricket with distinction after retiring from the game. He was a selector and manager of the West Indies team and president of the West Indies Cricket Board from 2001 to 2003. During that period he sat on the board of directors of the International Cricket Council, where he pushed for better conditions for players in particular and West Indies cricket in general.

He was the Minister of Tourism in Barbados in the 1980s and implemented many sports-related initiatives which have now been adopted globally.

Today, at age 69, he continues to serve. He in an evangelical church leader and is on the board of directors for the Stanford 20/20 Cricket Project.

* NOTE: If Reverend Hall is selected to the Sticky Wicket Hall of Fame, he will join Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Everton Weekes, Sir Viv Richards, George Headley, Clive Lloyd, Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, Malcolm Marshall, Lance Gibbs, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Brian Lara, and Ridley Jacobs.