Junior Murray - West Indies - Batsman

The first ever from the tiny island of Grenada to figure in Test cricket, Junior Murray, who began his life as a batsman, showed signs of slipping into Jeff Dujon's wonderfully worn boots. Murray was handed his Test debut in 1993 at the SCG against the Aussies. The batsman turned keeper did not fare badly, snagging 4 catches behind the stumps in addition to compiling a defiant 11, stretching West Indies past the 600 mark against a fine bowling attack, which contained the likes of Craig McDermott, Merv Hughes and Greg Mathews.

With his keeping technique looking a bit clumsy, batting was obviously Junior Murray's stronger suit. In his next Test at the Adelaide Oval, Murray displayed his batting prowess, compiling what was regarded as a decisive 49 in a low scoring humdinger in which West Indies snatched a 1 run win. He continued to star in some bright cameos lower down the order but his full range was on show when he slammed 101 from only 88 balls against the Kiwis in Wellington.

Murray though stumbled against Australia and England in 1995 as a result of which he lost his place to Courtney Browne. The opposition exploited his vulnerability outside the off-stump and gradually worked him over. His tall physique did not help his keeping either. In an unexpected twist of fate, Murray was recalled for the Trinidad Test against India in 2002, which unfortunately turned out to be his final one.

Junior Murray was a case of might-have-been in coloured clothing as well. He struck 5 fifties with the pick of them being a breezy 62 against a Wasim Akram-led Pakistan bowling unit in 1996/97 at WACA. Murray's rollicking stroke-play set the tone for Lara's ton as West Indies overhauled 257 with comfort. However, such knocks were few and far between. His last ODI encounter came against South Africa in 1999.

After a little stint of club cricket in New York, Murray launched a cricket academy in his name at St George's, Grenada, in 2013.

By Deivarayan Muthu