RECENTLY, Prime Minister P.J. Patterson presented former Jamaica and West Indies cricket captain Jimmy Adams with the Courtney Andrew Walsh Award for Excellence.

Adams, 37, received a glass bowl and a cheque worth 500,000 (Jamaican dollars) for his contribution to regional cricket.

After all, Jimmy Adams did score 11 regional hundreds for Jamaica.

Adams is the first recipient of the award, and a most proud one at that.

The abdurate left-handed Adams featured in 54 Tests and 127 One-Day Internationals for the West Indies between 1992 and 2002.

However, at the turn of the new millennium, the once prolific Jimmy Adams found his place in the West Indies team was increasingly questioned by many armchair critics -- locally, regionally and even internationally.

And, mind you, there were justifiably reasons for this, if one honestly examines the rise and fall of “Adolf” Adams -- once ranked/rated the game’s number one batsman (computer-wise, of course).

Adams was at the height of his phenomenal run and heavy scoring between 1994 and 1996, when he rattled up scores of: 137, 125 not out, 174 not out, 151 and 208 not out, in Test matches against the likes of England, India (on the sub-continent) and New Zealand.

Sadly and anti-climatically, the prolific left-hander from rootsy Jamaica became thereafter, a cheap imitation of the dogged, defiant and disciplined batsman/player who even boasted the remarkable average of 80-plus, which was cut by half at the omega of his 10-year Test career.

As “The player” or “The Man”, Adams’ solid technique had become scratchy and unconvincing, his quiet confidence appeared to have deserted him and the avalanche of runs were almost non-existant.

For instance, Adams scored 1,991 runs in his first 29 Tests at 56.68, boasting five centuries between the period mentioned earlier.

As a captain in the interim, he again boasted leadership qualities: level-headedness, shrewdness, astuteness and a mild-mannered nature.

One must also not forget to mention that Adams served West Indies cricket in the three-in-one capacity of batsman/spin bowler/wicket-keeper.

In accepting his award, a delighted Adams gave praise to Almighty God.

“First of all, I just want to give thanks wherever it is due and to the Father above for all my successes -- past, present and those likely to come,” he said.

The Award was named in honour of leading West Indies Test bowler C.A. Walsh, a.k.a. “The Marathon Man”, who took 519 wickets for West Indies in 132 Tests.

His tally has only been surpassed by three men -- Shane Warne, 629, Muttiah Muralitharan, 568, and Glenn Mc Grath, 521, at the time of writing.

Next week, I will write about my best ever West Indies Test team -- 1928 to 2006.

As a personal choice, they are Greenidge, Haynes, Headley, Richards, Lara, Sobers, Dujon, Marshall, Ambrose, Holding and Gibbs.

Watch for it!