- Cricket enthusiasts who have grown up witnessing the ruthlessly effective and dominating West Indies sides of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s must be bewildered and agonized at the same time to see the fall of the present side. The majority of cricket fans would reminisce about how the West Indies teams of yore used to trot on the cricket field with a brand of play that was not only exciting to watch but equally challenging to replicate by others. The West Indies teams were always blessed with a battery of fast bowlers who were not only menacing in their body language, build, and aggression but also in the way they intimidated the opposition with sheer brilliance in all departments of the game.
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- Who can ever forget the excitingly frightful sight of four fearsome fast bowlers relentlessly hurling deliveries over 90 miles per hour at the hapless opposition batsmen? Very few batsmen had the wherewithal, skills, or gumption to face those awesomely gifted athletes. Here, it deserves a special mention about our own Little Master Sunil Gavaskar, who not only stood up to those mesmerizing bowlers with great technical skills but also succeeded in scoring 13 centuries as an opener. An incredible achievement by any standard. Those who were fortunate to have watched fast bowlers of the caliber of Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner, Curtly Ambrose, and Courtney Walsh would understand what they meant to the game.
- Unfortunately, the West Indies team, always blessed and endowed with at least 6 to 8 match winners, started fading away from the late 1990s onward. The moment legendary cricketers like Clive Lloyd, Vivian Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, and their ilk called it a day after entertaining the world of cricket with an unparalleled brand, the steady decline of the team to beat commenced too. Yes, in between, the West Indies were admirably served by the likes of Brian Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and a few other cricketers, but the glory of yesteryear was completely lost. Unfortunately, the world beaters devolved into a struggling outfit that was routinely beaten into submission by lesser-known teams. What a fall from grace!
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- The West Indies team reached its nadir when it failed to qualify for the ensuing 50-over World Cup cricket to be held in India during the months of October-November. The overwhelming emphasis on T20 cricket where franchisees offer huge amounts to lure talented cricketers into the fold has largely contributed to the decline of West Indies’ cricketing supply chain itself. The pride in representing the West Indies team has considerably subsided owing to the mushrooming of T20 leagues around the world. Test matches in general have seen a downside over the years, but the West Indies side has borne the brunt of it. Will the group of islands in the Caribbean be able to regroup to present yet again the glorious days of yore? Cricket fans will fervently hope for it.
