By Tony Becca - From The Boundary 
YESTERDAY WHEN they walked onto the field at Kensington Oval at the start of the third Test between the West Indies and India, fast bowler Tino Best and offspinner Omari Banks became the latest players number 250 and number 251 to represent the West Indies, and hopefully they will walk in the footsteps of the great ones.
Right now, West Indies bowling is weak, and the fans, like the selectors, are certainly hoping that Best will become as great as one like Malcolm Marshall and that Banks will be as great as Lance Gibbs.
GREAT PLAYERS
Among the previous 249 players who have represented the West Indies were also some wonderful people great players and not so great players who, on top of their performance and outstanding contribution to West Indies cricket, were great ambassadors of West Indies cricket and the West Indian people, and hopefully Best and Banks will also become one of those.
Numbered among the great ambassadors is James Adams, and after acknowledging the outstanding batting and bowling of players like Viv Richards and Gordon Greenidge, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding and Malcolm Marshall in the past, it was good to see that the University of the West Indies paid a similar tribute to him on Monday at the 3Ws Oval on the Cave Hill Campus.
As good as he was as a West Indies player, Adams is not numbered among the greats. As a person, however, as a dedicated, disciplined player, as one who represented West Indies cricket with dignity and the West Indian people so well that they were proud that he wore the cap and that he was one of them, he was, and still is, in the company of Frank Worrell, Clive Lloyd, Gus Logie, and of course, Courtney Walsh; and professor Hillary Beckles, the principal of the UWI Cave Hill Campus and Vice-Chancellor, was on the ball during the ceremony.
Monday was the day Barbadians celebrated National Heroes Day, and to rapturous applause, Beckles said: "We wish to celebrate on this day, a citizen in whose spirit this game we love has found dignified expression. Sir Frank Worrell would have recognised him as a son, decent to the core, honourable to the vein, and one of the finest ambassadors of the tradition of the gentleman player we wish to uphold and celebrate."
That was well said and truthfully so.
It was also nice to hear the words of Adams.
In accepting the honour, Adams was his usual self. He did not bask in his glory. Instead he said thanks to those who helped him along the way those, in his won words, who influenced him, and those without whose help he probably would not have fulfilled his dream of representing the West Indies.
"I would like to personally say to Brian Lara, Brian it was tremendous playing with you," he said. "I think yourself and Courtney Walsh were the biggest influences on my cricket career on the field."
And then he turned to Rohan Kanhai who helped him off the field.
"I would like to say thanks to Rohan Kanhai who was my mentor. He not only taught me how to play the game but he loved me while he taught me how to do it and I owe him probably everything I have achieved in cricket."
In welcoming Best and Banks, my hope is not only that they will achieve greatness. As Professor Beckles said on Monday, cricket is more than just a magnificent game, and the hope is also that Best and Banks, as should other young players like Jermaine Lawson, Devon Smith, Carlton Baugh Jnr., David Bernard Jnr., and Marlon Samuels, will use Adams as an example as they strive for greatness.
Jimmy Adams was the ideal cricketer, he loved the game, he gave it everything, he did so while being a wonderful ambassador, and on Monday he once again underlined his class.
