No one able to unify West Indies with one purpose

Big Loss: Dwayne Bravo. (Photo by Getty Images).

At first, the West Indies were the yardstick for one-day cricket. Their win in the inaugural World Cup and subsequent victory in 1979 took cricket where it had never been. They were the first “third world” team to rise boldly, shatter the colonial yoke, take the game and show their historical overlords how to play it. Though they subsequently declined and have never dominated the World Cup to the same extent again, they set the scene for India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan to do the same.

Going into the 2015 World Cup, there were no guarantees they were going to be easy beats. Much of their talent, however, is unrealised, and even some of their “celebrity” cricketers (via various T20 tournaments) have modest international records. They have the aptitude, but it’s never a good sign for West Indies cricket when the focus is off-field. The pay dispute with the WIPA and the board has been a protracted affair, and there were even doubts leading into this tournament that they’d even play; Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard were dropped for their roles in it. Sunil Narine, Chris Gayle, and Dwayne Smith highlight their obvious firepower, but they also have a number of youngsters with no international experience, and the punished duo were not dispensable.

The West Indies will always bask in the vestigial light of their former greatness, and they have enough of the old champions still around acting as conscience, mentors and administrators. However, no one seems to know how to unify them anymore with one purpose. They’ll always be respected as one-day pioneers, and certain brilliant individuals, mainly batsmen, have carried on the tradition. Everyone’s waiting for the next wave of outstanding fast-bowlers, but it may never come. Still, any team to leave their shores is welcomed with great anticipation.

On any given day, the West Indies’ haphazard brilliance might come together. If they ever get the teamwork of those ’70s and ’80s sides back, they’ll be a powerful contender once again.

By Robert Drane, Editor of Inside Cricket Magazine – ON SALE NOW.