Ridley Jacobs

An ever-reliable wicket-keeper batsman, Ridley Jacobs was not a fluent stroke player but his power-hitting ability shocked everyone. When Jeff Dujon retired from international cricket, the wicket-keeping slot was very much up for grabs, and Jacobs who just made his first-class debut was a potential substitute for him. 

Jacobs made his way through Junior cricket and made his First-Class debut for the Leeward Islands in 1991-92 and the following year, he started gaining attention from the national selectors when he struck a century against the star-studded bowling lineup of Trinidad and Tobago. A decline in form saw him being ignored by the selectors for almost five years had to wait until he turned 31 of a Test debut against South Africa in 1998-99.

Even while West Indies was hurtling towards a 5-0 whitewash in the Rainbow Nation in 1998, Jacobs stood tall amongst the ruins by amassed 317 runs and took 19 catches in the series. Even during the 1999 World Cup in England, Jacobs surprised one-and-all by doing well in foreign conditions. He developed a liking towards fast bowling and scored his maiden century against a fiery Proteas bowling lineup, including the likes of Donald, Pollock, and Ntini. His ability to occupy the crease for long periods proved essential, at a time with West Indies cricket on the decline.

A few failures in the limited-overs in the 2004 England tour saw him immediately being dropped from the squad. The West Indies selectors were looking for a younger wicketkeeper to replace the ageing Jacobs whose tour to England in 2004 turned out to be the last one for the veteran. 

(As of April 2021)