- Die-hard cricket fans would recollect with fond memories how the mere mention of West Indies used to evoke awe, shudder, amazement, dread, fear, respect, passion, and admiration in equal measure. The wonderment while mentioning some of the marquee players originating from the stables of the Caribbean would be met with distinct and admiring comprehension. Imagine the players of the caliber of Sir Garfield Sobers, Wesley Hall, Alvin Kalicharan, Clive Lloyd, Vivian Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Jeffery Dujon, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Malcolm Marshal, Joel Garner, Richie Richardson, Brian Lara, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, just to name a few. Wow! What a set of players they all were!
PC: Shivam Sharma
- There are several other stalwart players whose names could not be included here for obvious reasons. But suffice it to say that the abovementioned cricketers and many more would have simply walked into any cricket team under their towering skill sets. We all know how the West Indies team of yore dominated the world cricket in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s by overwhelming the opposition with the brute exhibition of cricketing prowess in all departments of the game. Except for Australia and England, who could offer some credible resistance, none of the other cricketing teams could pose a palpable challenge to the West Indies back then. Yes, there were upsets, including the World Cup defeat to India in 1983.
- The pure joy of watching those towering fast bowlers hurling missiles consistently at the opposition batsmen cannot be described in mere words but had to be experienced first-hand. Those of us who were fortunate to have witnessed the Caribbean brand of aggressive cricket would vouch for the sheer joy, entertainment, and blissful exhibition unfolding in front of our eyes with such panache. Touring West Indies meant guaranteed entertainment wherever they played. However, it has been a downslide for such a proud team over the last fifteen years. The dreadfully inadequate players of caliber representing the West Indies for various reasons have pushed the once mighty team to an abyss, almost.
PC: Reuters
- The last nail in the coffin was hit recently when the West Indies team failed to qualify for the ensuing World Cup scheduled in India in October-November 2023. Yes, you read it right. The team failed to qualify in the qualifier that happened recently to select two teams to compete along with the eight teams already qualified. Needless to mention, West Indies cricket has hit the nadir and it will take monumental efforts from all stakeholders to bring them back to the cricketing mainstream. The deluge of T20 franchise-based cricket has ensured the fulcrum of West Indies cricketers moves away from the Tests as well as the Caribbean fold. A sad story indeed and the loss is for cricket in general and for cricket fans too. Hopefully, the West Indies team per se can be resurrected. Will it? That’s a moot point to ponder over.
