Jimmy Adams

Jimmy Adams Biography

James Clive Adams is a former West Indies cricketer who hails from Jamaica. He was born in Port Maria, Saint Mary, Jamaica on 9 January 1968. Jimmy is a left-handed batsman and also bowled left-arm orthodox spin. He was also considered as a good fielder, especially in gully positions.

Jimmy’s batting was slow, and he has the highest Test differential in the world as his test averages dropped from a massive 61.34 to 25.58 in the second half of his career.

Background

Jimmy Adams was born to a pair of doctors and started playing cricket at a very early age. He was inducted into the Jamaican team in the 1984-85 season.

His career started at a faltering pace and was called into the national team only five years after starting. He slowly turned into a clinical left-hander, flashing his willow in a show of confidence in many innings.

His first 12 tests yielded a massive 1132 runs at an average of 87. This average was considered to be the best after Don Bradman, and Jimmy was able to sustain it only for a while.

Debut

After a string of solid performances for Jamaica, Jimmy was called into the national team in 1991-92. He made his first appearance on 18 April 1992 in a Test against South Africa and scored 11 runs while picking four wickets in the first innings. He helped West Indies to a 52-run win by scoring a solid 79 runs.

He made his ODI debut on 17 December 1992 against Pakistan. He scored 17 runs and picked up a wicket in what was a disappointing match for Pakistan, who lost by 133 runs.

Rise to Glory

Jimmy’s test career began with a bang as he gathered a massive 1132 runs at an average of 87. This record was only bettered by Sir Don Bradman. The first half of his test career was a consistent one, averaging at 61.34.

Jimmy’s top score of 208 not out came against New Zealand on 27 April 1996. The match was drawn despite Jimmy’s best efforts. Another top performance came against India when he scored 174 runs to help West Indies win the match.

Again, in 1995, Jimmy top-scored against New Zealand with 151 runs to help the Caribbean side to another win in the battle of the islands.

As a bowler, Jimmy was a trouble for most middle-order and tail-end batsman. He picked up four wickets in his debut match and has two five-wicket hauls (one each in Tests and ODIs).

Jimmy played a total of 127 ODIs, but failed to make a mark. He scored 14 half-centuries but failed to get a century. His career-best of 82 runs came against Australia in what was a fine win for West Indies.

Low Points

In 1995, Jimmy suffered a cheekbone fracture batting in low light in a match against Somerset. He was struck by an Andre van Troost bouncer that may have caused his career to spiral down. He took a long time to recover and became an increasingly defensive batsman.

His batting averages dropped, and his clinical nature started fading. This is seen as a major bump in Jimmy’s career.

Club Career

Jimmy began his first-class career for Jamaica in 1984-85. He played short stints for Berkshire and Nottinghamshire and played a total of 202 first-class matches, scoring a massive 11234 runs and picking up 103 wickets.

Jimmy’s List A career was a consistent one, where he played for Dunstall CC. This involved 228 matches, where he scored 5319 runs and picked up 83 wickets.

Captaincy

In 2000, Jimmy was appointed as the captain of the West Indies to replace an aging Brian Lara. He began on a bright note with four wins and two draws in six matches but lost seven of the next eight matches.

This run involved a 5-0 series loss to Australia and affected Jimmy’s termination as captain. This loss also marked the end of Jimmy’s test career.

Retirement

After playing domestic cricket for nearly six years after his national ousting, Jimmy announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in 2006.

After his retirement, Jimmy turned into a commentator and is one of the most respected cricketers in the world. He also managed the West Indies U-19 side.

In 2017, the West Indies Cricket Board appointed him as the Director of Cricket.