No better time to re-evaluate Windies cricket

Tue, Oct 24, '23

West Indies, under Clive Lloyd, were victorious in the first Cricket World Cup (CWC) in 1975, then repeated four years later in 1979.

They were knocked off their pedestal at the next tournament of 1983 when India blew them away in the final.

India, with a mind for their crowd support at home, used their new status as defending champions to suggest that the following CWC of 1987 should take place in India. This was granted but certain regulations had to be changed. The most important was that the number of overs would be reduced from 60 an innings to 50. The practical reason for this was that daylight is of a much shorter duration in the subcontinent of India.

This change was accepted and it was found to be more suitable on a worldwide basis.

One-Day-International cricket or ODI as they are more popularly known since then, is currently contested over 50-overs a side amongst the tense rivalry of countries.

We have now arrived in 2023 and although the CWC is held every four years, the West Indies have not won the competition since 1979, nor participated in any one of its finals since 1983.