JAMES, ALFRED – New York cricket administrator
Born September 10, 1939 in Kingston Jamaica, West Indies, Alfred James (Alfie as he is affectionately called), attended and received his early education at the Greenwich Town Elementary School.

He arrived in the U.S. in 1963 to join his parents and to further his studies, Alfie spent some time learning mathematics, then went on to study Business Administration at the Washington Business Institute in New York. After graduation, he joined the David L. Blaine Electrical Company. Thirty-eight years later, Alfie still worked for the same firm, but had risen to a position where he was second in command.

Upon arrival in New York, he became a member of Primrose Cricket Club, where he rose through the ranks to become President, a League (NYCL), the governing body, which fully oversees all competitive cricket in the Bronx, New York area. After serving in various positions, he was elected president of the league, holding that position for several years.

As a result of his stewardship, the NYCL grew in stature and became the envy of the other leagues in the tri-state area. He revised its old constitution, solidifies its affiliation and commitment with the regional body, and coauthored with its then secretary, Lloyd F. Thompson, the only known Cricket Code of Ethics in the cricket playing communities of the United States. Alfie and Thompson did this while serving as members of the New York City Parks Department Parade Ground Task Force Committee, a group consisting of delegates of various sports groups who use Van Courland Park in the Bronx, New York.

In 1997 during his third term as president of the New York Cricket League, he became a member of the newly formed United States of America Cricket Umpires Association (USACUA). He was elected to the office of Vice President in his second year of membership. In 1999 he played a pivotal role at the first Biennial Convention of the West Indies Cricket Umpires Association ever to be held in the U.S., which was hosted by the USACUA. In 2003, following the resignation of the then president Lloyd Scott, he was elected to the presidency, a post which he regards as the high point in his career as a sports administrator. A year into his elevation, through his efforts, the USACUA gained the recognition of becoming an associate member of the West Indies Cricket Umpires Association (WICUA). It became a full member of the WICUA at its Biennial Convention held in 2005.

Alfie is also an active member of another well-known New York based club, Wembley Athletic Club. He is the father of two beautiful children, Kerry and Preston, who form one half of his zest for living, the other half is his dedication to the sport he love – Cricket.