Overlooked by the controversy surrounding India’s decision to cancel a Test Match that needed 86 runs from 90 balls, was the continued improvement of their counterparts. Since a 2-1 series defeat against Australia in 1995, the West Indies have fallen spectacularly from their position at the top of the cricketing world. Players like Clive Lloyd, Malcolm Marshall and Sir Viv Richards (to name a few) all retired during a 5 year spell which devastated a younger team in the long run.
But are we finally about to witness a renaissance in one of the most exciting sides, historically, in world cricket?
First, here’s a comparison of the West Indies’ performances in the Test series before and after the Australian defeat:
1980-1994: Played 29, won 20, tied 9, lost 0
1995-now: Played 50, won 13, drew 7, lost 30
NOTE: A simple look at these stats highlights just how extraordinary the West Indies team of the 1980s and early 1990s were. A possible future article could be a comparison of them and the exploits of the Australian side that wrested the mantle of the ‘best cricket team in the world’.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the performances of the latter West Indies side:
1995-2003: Played 25, won 10, tied 2, lost 13
2004-now: Played 25, won 3, drew 5, lost 17
When you consider that these 3 wins came against Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and an England team still reeling from the Pietersen-Moores debacle, the astonishing collapse of a great cricketing nation is compounded.
This barren spell for the Windies includes shutouts to South Africa, Australia and England and even the ignominy of a 2-0 home loss to Bangladesh in 2009.
However, a spurt of life has suddenly sprung up on a side under the captaincy of Darren Sammy which boasts a host of exciting young talent to mingle with some of the more seasoned activists. Of course, we’ve been down this road before with the West Indies. Who can forget Dwayne Smith and his 93-ball hundred on Test debut against South Africa? One of the most naturally gifted batsmen in terms of ability to see and hit the ball, Smith averaged a paltry 16.22 in 77 ODIs for the West Indies.
NOTE: For comparison, in 201 ODIs, Brett Lee averaged 16.25 runs to go with his 349 wickets. I know who I would rather have by my side.
Even now, we’re still treated to the occasional thrill ride from Kieron Pollard, a man for whom 4 IPL franchises saw fit to bid the $750,000 (for cricket or marketing reasons I wonder?). So far though, Pollard has hit just 4 50 in 42 ODIs and has a T20 average of 12.33. Hardly what keeps fast bowlers awake at night.
But now, the Windies have introduced a core of youngsters who are beginning to consistently perform for them rather than hold their place on the team with untapped potential. Among them is Darren Bravo, half-brother of his teammate Dwayne, who has been compared to none other than the great Brian Lara (by the way, his second cousin). For a left-footed batsman playing in a similar style to the Trinidadian legend, that’s high praise considering his failure so far to score a century in either Tests or ODIs. Also, one only has to look at the number of Brazilian and Argentine soccer players labeled as the next Pelé or Maradona to see the pressure this can put on a youngster. However, an average of 40 and 33 in the respective forms is an encouraging start for the 22-year-old who still has time on his side.
Kemar Roach is another who was drafted into the team at the tender age of 19 and has impressed critics. Capable of bowling at speeds of up to 93mph, Roach made his international debut in the T20 match against Australia in 2008, having played in just 4 first-class matches before. Finishing with match-best numbers of 2/29 signaled the great potential. So far, Roach is averaging less than 30 with the ball in all forms of cricket. Even more impressive, he led an attack of inexperienced Windies in Australia in 2009, drawing praise from the likes of Ricky Ponting and Ian Chappell as a star of the future. Roach was also man of the series the following year in Sri Lanka, a country known for providing slow, dusty bowls that do not help fast bowlers. A hat-trick against the Netherlands at this year’s World Cup helped him reach his career best figures of 6/27.
Devendra Bishoo and Kirk Edwards have recently become regulars in both formats. Bishoo. a leg spin, he has impressed many with his attacking style of bowling and has become one of the Windies’ main wicket takers. Even more entertaining are their post-match interviews! Edwards recently scored a dogged 110 against India on his Test debut to help tie the match – showing great determination and grit in his innings.
Add to these young players seasoned players like Shivnarine Chanderpaul (who, at 36, is still going strong judging by her recent century against India), Dwayne Bravo and Ramnaresh Sarwan, and there is a core group of players to present a new exciting start to the Caribbean.
Despite this, questions continue to surround the team. The controversy surrounding the longstanding feud between former captain Chris Gayle and the West Indies Cricket Board has long overshadowed his recent achievements (a summary of which can be found here). Indeed, this saga underscores the lack of professionalism still inherent in the Windies’ management, which continues to see the pay disputes of 2009.
Also, there are still question marks surrounding Captain Darren Sammy’s place value on the side. The captain has been unable to justify selecting him as an all-rounder by keeping Kemar Roach on the sidelines with a series of poor performances with the bat that overshadowed his moderate success with the ball. However, a recent interview with CricInfo highlighted Sammy’s determination to instill a professional spirit, a high level of fitness and more exposure to young talent to help his team.
Sammy has stated that his goal is to reach the top 5 with the West Indies by 2015. After years of simply selecting their best player for the role of captain, perhaps the English approach of prioritizing leadership skills over talent (Hussain , Atherton, Vaughan and Cook in ODIs) may turn out to be the right one to point this proud cricketing nation in the right direction.
