 Odell's father was Rev Joseph Odell, a Primitive Methodist minister who had ministries in Wales, Leicester, where William was born, Brooklyn in the US, and Birmingham, where he was in charge of the Conference Hall and where William was educated at the King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys.William's brother Edwin Odell also played first-class cricket for Leicestershire in one match.Odell played cricket as an amateur, and was a right-handed lower middle order batsman and a right-arm medium pace bowler.