There is a definite pattern in his career

JIMMY ADAMS is a blue collar man, a players' player. The kind of cricketer who will bleed on a cricket field. Under the circumstances, the perfect choice to lead the West Indies.

He may not be a superstar, but is a hero all right. Someone who will put his hand up first when the chips are down, like on that memorable final day at Antigua, where Adams won a famous battle against the rampaging Wasim Akram & co.

With that innings, Adams was making a statement - he was going to lead by example.

He is never going to take one's breath away with his strokeplay, and there are quite a few who swear by the Caribbean flamboyance of the yore, but there are no questions about his commitment.

And commitment was the quality that was found wanting in West Indian cricket. Too many rash strokes, too many loose deliveries, too many mistakes on the field, and finally too many spineless defeats.

But with the captain putting a price on his wicket, one could spot a definite improvement in the application of the batsmen. This rubbed off on the bowling too and there was more discipline in the attack with Reon King and Franklyn Rose providing Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh admirable support.

The scenes of jubilation at the conclusion of that dramatic last session in Antigua, where the fortunes swung one way then the other, must have been heart-warming to the Caribbeans, so used to meek capitulations in the recent past.

And Adams, his eyes gleaming with pride even as his team-mates chaired him, did deserve his moment under the sun; he had managed to turn things around for the West Indies.

As a player he was every captain's dream. Under adverse situations he could bat till the Kingdom Come, send down useful left-arm spin when the need arose and in times of emergency, even donned the wicket- keeping gloves.

Not once did he complain, not once did he flinch, not once did he give less than his very best.

There is a definite pattern in Adams' career with that willingness to fight back, and his in-the-trenches resolve coming to the fore time and again.

His Test debut, against South Africa at Bridgetown, Barbados, in '92, could not have come under more demanding circumstances. The South African quicks were on fire, and had taken the Proteas to the doorstep of a significant victory.

Adams, in only his second innings in Test cricket, rallied with the tailenders, much like his match-winning innings against Pakistan in Antigua, providing the West Indians with a glimmer of hope.

Hope that turned into reality when Walsh and Ambrose bowled the Caribbeans to victory. New boy Adams was very much at the heart of the West Indian revival.

And in India, two years later, when the `Big Boys' were found wanting on the stark turners of the sub-continent, it was Adams who showed the way, his concentration never wavering under the heat and dust.

There were occasions when he used the pads, and though the purists might not have been pleased, Adams tactics stood between India and a series win. Those were the days, when the southpaw's average was in the high eighties, and he could do no wrong.

But soon Adams suffered a slump in form with his intensity actually working against him. His ultra-defensive ways at the crease, meant he was subjecting himself to that much more pressure.

Actually, Adams needed to relax a bit, bat with a little more freedom, without compromising on his basic solidity. He had to find the right balance.

He did just that in his comeback series against England in '98, and though he missed the tour of South Africa due to a freak accident, that left him with a slashed wrist, Adams was in a confident mood against the touring Australians. He was back in business.

Then came the World Cup, where the West Indies failed to make the Super Six, followed by the disastrous tour of New Zealand. The Caribbean pride had been dented, and it was clearly the time to ring in the changes.

Adams was the right man for the top job, after Lara decided to step down. The series against Zimbabwe might not have been challenging enough, but Adams was in his element as a leader when the Caribbeans took on the talented Pakistanis.

He used Walsh and Ambrose judiciously, got the best out of the support pacemen, and always had words of encouragement when things went wrong for a teammate.

In many respects, it was fitting that Walsh was Adams' partner when the series winning run was scored in Antigua. The two hail from Jamaica, and it was Walsh who first recognised Adams' ability. There is a rather special bond between the two.

If one were to sum up Adams' career so far in two words, they would have to be `honour and dignity'. During these troubled times when cricket and cricketers are under a cloud, he does come as a welcome relief.

S. DINAKAR

Chennai

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