Name:

Alexander, Franz Copeland Murray

Date of Birth:

02 Nov 1928

Gender:

Men

Place of Birth:

Kingston, Colony of Jamaica

Date Died:

16 Apr 2011

Career:

Test: 1957 - 1961

Teams:

West Indies (Country)
Jamaica (Regional)

1960: Australia belted by Sobers (SCG)

Gerry Alexander: Last white captain of West Indies 

Franz "Gerry" Alexander was born in Kingston. He was a right hand batsman and wicketkeeper. He came from a privileged background and studied at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge University. He earned his cricket and football blues. He also won an FA Amateur Cup medal playing for the Pegasus team – composed of Oxford and Cambridge students – in 1953.

He was a surprise choice for the West Indies' 1957 tour of England under John Goddard, mainly because of his local knowledge of English conditions. He made his debut in the 4th Test.

Frank Worrell was not available for the next series, due to his university studies and Alexander was picked to skipper the West Indies at home in their first-ever series against Pakistan in 1958.

In 1958/59, Alexander led the team to a 3-0 series win over India. Roy Gilchrist had a tendency to bowl dangerous beamers. In the last match of the tour, Gilchrist unleashed murderous beamers against a batsman, Swaranjit Singh, whom Alexander had known at Cambridge. He was sent home, while the rest of the party went to Pakistan. Gilchrist never again played for the West Indies.

Alexander graciously stepped down to enable Worrell to lead the team against Australia in 1960/61. Alexander played a pivotal role at the back end of the famous Tied Test at the Gabba with some fine glove work behind the stumps taking 3 catches and a stumping.  In this series he scored 484 runs at 60.50. His average was the highest from either side.

He captained West Indies in 18 of his 25 Tests. He 961 runs for an average of 30.03. He had 85 catches behind the wicket and executed five stumpings.

After retirement, Alexander worked as a veterinary surgeon. He was President of Kingston Club, and was awarded Jamaica’s Order of Distinction in 1982. He managed the West Indies team to India and Pakistan in 1974-75 in Clive Lloyd’s first overseas tour. Lloyd later told his biographer Trevor McDonald: “I was lucky on my first tour as captain to have Gerry Alexander as manager".

Alexander died aged 82 in 2011.

Source: CricketCrowd Staff Reporter