U-19 success heart-warming in desolate West Indian landscape

But where can these players go from here? The A team is nearly defunct, the first-class league weak, and the contracts issue is destroying the senior side

Their teenaged team has brought a welcome, long overdue whiff of optimism to West Indies cricket. In advancing to today's final of the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, they have demonstrated a resilience that, for multiple reasons, has been repeatedly beyond their seniors. It will be severely tested in the showpiece climax by India, the one remaining unbeaten team in a tournament otherwise marked by its unpredictability.

It doesn't necessarily follow that success at a global age-group competition leads to success at the higher level. Today is only the second time West Indies have contested the final. They were beaten by Pakistan, also in Bangladesh, in 2004. No one in either of those sides has even half the 74 Tests and 129 ODIs of Denesh Ramdin, the West Indies captain in that tournament, who is still going after an international career of a dozen years.

Once they outlive the age limit, some top teens drift away from the game into other pursuits; others won't develop sufficiently to qualify for Test or limited-overs selection.