The ICC T20 World Cup being played out in Australia has been a Competition which would not be forgotten so easily and in my opinion it has been one of the best ICC Tournaments in recent history. From thrillers to rain, from comebacks to upsets and from sublime displays to forgetful failures, the tournament has seen it all and still counting. However in the midst of this chaos, there is one thing missing which has been truly conspicuous by its absence, the buzz of the Calypso Kings, the once formidable, West Indies.
The Windies Sent Home
The Windies were eliminated in the qualifiers and were unable to play in the Super 12. It was nothing short of a heartbreak for the passionate cricket fans in the Caribbean, but cricket lovers all over the world felt the pangs of this massive disappointment. The West Indian commentators who have been former players rued the performance of the team. The heart burn led to huge criticism and many said, that what happened was already on the cards, just waiting to manifest into reality. The players, the coaching staff, the selectors and the Cricket Administration all came under heavy criticism. The once Invincibles had become extremely fragile and eventually caved in when the pressure mounted.
The criticism was expected and to an extent it was fair. So are the Windies to be written off as a Cricket Powerhouse ( as many are suggesting ) ?, or there is still hope for them. Being a follower of the Sport for long and having observed the several ups and downs associated with the Windies Team over the past several years, I can say with certainty that there is not only hope but a lot to look forward to in West Indies Cricket. My argument is based on the following observations.
The Ones so Talented
The talent available in the West Indies is immense and unquestionable. The players play in different T20 Leagues in the World and have proved their mettle time and again. Not only in T20s but in Tests as well as in ODIs, West Indies have been steadily improving. Nicholas Pooran , their ODI and T20 Captain is one of the most gifted players in the world. Evin Lewis, Rovman Powell, Shimron Hetmyer, Shamarh Brooks and Shai Hope have all performed not only for the West Indies but also for the several Franchises they have played for. In Jason Holder, Andre Russell, Odean Smith and Romario Shepherd they have some brilliant all rounders. In Alzarri Joseph they have one of the quickest bowlers in the world. Even in the Test Side they have several excellent players both in the batting and the bowling department.
What Went Wrong
With so much good, what went wrong with the Team in the T20 World Cup, is on everyone’s mind and in my opinion the following could the reasons for the world cup mishap.
1. There appeared some serious lack of prep work from the Windies side, particularly from the strategy point of view. They went into the Qualifiers probably over confident, expecting to run through the sides without doing their own homework. Loss to Scotland in the first match was proof enough. The Windies were completely bamboozled by the gentle left arm spin of Mark Watt and the world saw how he had prepared. Mark Watt took out a piece of paper every time he bowled to the West Indian batters. He had prepared a strategy for each batter who came to the crease. Even against Ireland, the moment they got a good start, the West Indian bowling fell apart, shoulders dropped and they just caved in.
2. The absence of Shimron Hetmyer to bolster the middle order and Andre Russell a proven match winner, did West Indies no good. Shimron Hetmyer as has been reported missed the flight to Australia and then was replaced in the squad. He was an important player and in my opinion should have been on the tour. Andre Russell too was not part of the Team. I cannot imagine a Windies T20 team without the mercurial Andre Russell. An experienced bowler, brilliant fielder and a destructive batter. If he was fit, he had to play. These two omissions hurt the Windies badly. Also the way Evin Lewis played was difficult to comprehend. He hardly got going. A prolific scorer, he appeared lost in the middle. Kyle Meyers too flopped with the bat.
3. T20 is an intense game, where every ball bowled is of critical importance. You have to be on your guard all the time. A little slip and you have no time to recover. The game moves very quickly. The Windies faced a few lapses in concentration and then just could not recover.
The Work is cut of for the Windies
1. There is absolutely no issue of skill or strength in the Windies Team. It is more to do with the mental make up of the players, their relationship with the Administration and the Team Management.
2. The Cricket Board needs to look for Coaches who are well versed with the modern techniques of coaching and not necessarily former West Indian players. It is not all about skill anymore as lot of emphasis is laid on strategy, finer details of the game and also the psyche of the players. A thorough professional approach to managing the team during tours is essential.
3. Another important scenario of Cricket in the Carribean is its gradually waning popularity. The under performing West Indies Teams are further adding to the disenchantment with the sport and instead of Cricket, the young are taking a liking for Football , Basketball and Athletics. The Board therefore has to take immediate steps to resurrect the situation in which ICC ( International Cricket Council ) should also extend full support.
West Indian Cricket is swashbuckling, attractive to watch and extremely entertaining. A good, competitive Windies Team will do a world of good for the Sport and add all the colour and music to it.
The Calypsos may have gone a bit silent as of now, but don’t write them off as yet. It won’t be long before we hear the Calypso Buzzz again.