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Where do we go from here? India effectively called curtains on the West Indies’ 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup campaign, by way of a 125-run defeat the Asian giants handed the Caribbean men last Thursday. For all the talk of this West Indies team having a better batting unit than it does a bowling unit, with just two games remaining in WINDIES’ tournament, this particular tree has yet to bear fruit.

The West Indies left the Caribbean for England with the backing of the fans. Still, they have only managed to embarrass us every step of the way on the world’s biggest stage. Were we expecting too much? Surely not, since decent showings, fight and spirit are bases professional sportsmen cover without a second thought.

Following a fantastic bowling display from Roach and company, which handed their batting counterparts a gettable 269 runs for victory, the latter failed to put up any fight… yet again. The recurring theme of talent, potential and lack of application with West Indian batsmen is on the fast track to Growing Old. The unwillingness to adapt to varying situations, highlights a lack of game awareness from the men in maroon. If we choose to attribute this to youthful exuberance; then, in the case of one Christopher Henry Gayle, what would be his excuse? Okay, maybe we should reiterate that “T20 cricket is destroying cricket”. Again, we cannot. As the other Full Member nations in the competition also engage the format, still it is only an excuse for the West Indies. However, to say “T20 cricket is destroying West Indies Cricket” would be a better turn of phrase. Still, I fail to agree wholeheartedly. 

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Better meaning what? The WI glory days are gone, never, ever to return. Deal with it. And as Bravo, Narine, Pollard, Gayle etc retire, they will not be replaced on the T20 circuit. That era is over.

It been getting worse for close to 25 years with not even a hint of better in sight.

It was already in train before their unhappy advent but Hunte, Hillaire, Cameron, et al, presided over and accelerated the final destruction of West Indies cricket by vindictively marginalizing players and alienating fans and supporters as well.

How many youngsters you think will be waking up in the middle of the night to follow what passes as Wes Indies cricket in the future?

WI punching more and more in its true weight class, as it keeps losing weight at a very alarming rate.

"Better" can only mean stability at the very bottom!

Like most pass World Powers, when things starts going south it is difficult to recover to the pass heights. The WI will not rise again soon for several reasons, the main ones are, the WICB will never have enough money, organizational commitment and players collective dedication to turn the slide around anytime soon

In my opinion , many people are symbolically Barking Up the Wrong Tree
0ver 16 years ago I joined this Forum and joined the sentiments expressed by
a few Persons in this Forum whose perspective regarding West Indies Cricket are in sync with mine .

If WE honestly want to save West Indies Cricket , I believe that there
must be a Total & complete Restructuring of ALL Cricket in the
Region .

I firmly believe that the 1908 current Structure is ill suited for
the 21st Century . Obviously this
means that there must be a Total Restructuring of the WICBC , and the
Regional Cricket Boards .

It is appalling that the WICBC is over 100 years old , and its Members
have bluntly refused to change their
ancient Structure . This is despite
commissioning several Reports , which were ignored .

Perhaps because the occupants of the
WICBC have absolutely no intention of changing their Archaic Structure.

As I have stated elsewhere in this
Forum , The People in the WICBC & also those in the Regional Cricket
Boards are stricken with PMS aka
Plantation Mentality Syndrome .

In essence They decided to mimic the
behaviour of those who founded the
WICBC in 1908 . The current occupants relish mimicing the behaviour of those who founded the
WICBC ; and thought of themselves as being superior to the Players .

Interestingly Some years ago there
was an annual game in England that
was called :

" GENTLEMEN VS PLAYERS "

My recollection is it was never billed as :" PLAYERS VS GENTLEMEN ".
in essence Gentlemen were Superior to Players , since they were wealthy not Professional Cricketers .Some years ago that well known game was
stopped in England .

I cite the above to illustrate that
the Plantation Owners ; the Business
Owners ; the Professionals , Doctors
Lawyers etc . were the People who
founded the WICBC in 1908 .

They thought of themselves as being
Superior to persons below their status . I believe that currently
those in the WICBC , still relish that traditional behaviour .

They believe that there must always
a distinction between Members of the
WICBC and Our Players . My take is
that this Attitude has created a Gulf between the WICBC & Our Players.

Now if You think what I have stated
is Nonsense , How is it that Our
former Great Players who harnessed &
honed the talents of Our Players in
the shortest version of the game to win 2 consecutive World Championships in the shortest version of the Game ?????

For their Stewardship of those former Players , I expected the WICBC to at least have a Dinner for their Stewardship ; and also Publicly lauded their Stewardship .

That to my knowledge never happened,
it however buttresses my perspective
regarding the Worst International
Cricket Board in the Commonwealth , aka the WICBC .

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

It does not have to. They need to think WEST INDIES/ CARIBBEAN non english speaking countries around us and south of us. Why isn't Suriname and French Guiana invited as well as the NA eh?

It is the disharmony between the WICBC and Our Players that is also an impediment to the success of Our
Players in the International Cricket
Arena .

Let me cite the Darren Bravo fiasco
that also graphically buttresses my
perspective .

The President of the WICBC made a
Statement and in that statement he
erroneously made an error regarding what level contract Bravo had , This
incensed Bravo to the point where he
made an unfortunate remark .

Now it is generally acknowledged that when anyone in authority is going to make a Statement , the onus is on them to ascertain that what they were about to state is factually correct .

Perhaps the President of the WICBC
thought that not correctly knowing
Bravo's Contract Level was a triflying . But it was not to Bravo.

Bravo was sent home from South Africa , The WICBC has a Disciplinary Committee , and that was bypassed .

I cite these to factyally illustrate
that WE must have Harmonious Relations between those in the governance of West Indies Cricket
and our Players . In essence :

" A HOUSE DIVIDE CANNOT STAND "

This is precisely why I firmly believe that Players MUST BE on All
cricket Boards in the Region so that
their views & input can be heard .

No question that successive wicb regimes have proven incapable of dealing with the issues.

The root causes of the decline are very complex and I could not attemp explanation in a short post.

Suffice it to say that no West Indies cricketer is a full time professional athlete with responsibility to a single employer in a sustainable and growing business.

That’s why talent like Archer can blossom in a different environment.

We have talent ....but not the resources or the sustainable business model.

I am currently watching a divions two bottom of the table clash in Sussex...crowd about 1600...not good but at Queen’s Park oval the equivalent would be 10 people.

In reply to bobby

We jus want them playing sensible cricket, then we take it from there. The bowlers adjusting, can the batsmen?

In reply to doublecentury

5 at Sabina. Workers.

In reply to natty_forever
Sensible indicates the use of brain. Have you seen evidence of anyone involved with CWI having one?

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

In my view, there is nothing wrong with West Indies cricket that good leadership cannot solve.

In reply to rillo

You're going to have to find some really old hands around to answer the question of which territories were asked to be part of the WI and why. Possibly back then, cricket wasn't a thing in the French/Dutch/Spanish territories (which knocks them out of the conversation from the get-go)... but why not Bahamas or Cayman? Did Britain handpick the countries?

In the game of life doesn't it always get worse before it gets better?.........

I know some smart person is going to tell me they talking bout cricket........
but things always get worse before it get better, the darkest hour is just before dawn.......

In reply to doublecentury

So Please enlighten Me , There was an Era when Our Players Dominated International Cricket the salient
Question that I have perpetually asked is this :

WHAT STEPS DID THE WICBC TAKE AT THE

JUNCTURES WHEN ENGLAND DECIDED TO

LIMITED OVERSEAS PLAYERS FROM

PLAYING IN ENGLAND ; MOST OF THOSE

OVERSEAS PLAYERS WERE FROM OUR

REGION DUE TO GEOGRAPHICAL

PROXIMITY THAT DECISION AFFECTED

OUR PLAYERS MORE THAN ANY OTHER

CRICKET PLAYING COUNTRIES ??????



WHEN THE ICC DECIDED TO CHANGE THE

INTERNATIONAL TOUR SCHEDULE ; THAT

DECISION IMPACTED HEAVILY ON THE

COMPETITIVENESS OF OUR PLAYERS

MORESO THAN OTHER INTERNATIONAL

CRICKET PLAYING COUNTRIES .


THIS WAS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY

HAD IN PLACE COUNTY & REGIONAL

MATCHES THAT KEPT THEIR PLAYERS

SKILLS HONED TO PERFECTION .


HOWEVER IN OUR REGION THE PEOPLE IN

THE WICBC DID NOT DO ONE BLASTED

THING UNTIL ABOUT 8 YEARS AGO .


IF THE PEOPLE IN THE WICBC WERE GOOD

STEWARDS OF WEST INDIES CRICKET THEY

WOULD HAVE UNDERSTOOD THE IMPACT

THOSE TWO DECISIONS WOULD HAVE ON

THE COMPETITIVENESS OF OUR PLAYERS

IN THE INTERNATIONAL CRICKET ARENA .


THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT THE

WICBC FAILED THE REGION . WORSE YET

THEY AND THEIR POODLES IN THE MEDIA

HAVE CONSPIRED TO PLACE THE BLAME ON

OUR PLAYERS .


NOW WHAT I HAVE STATED HERE CANNOT

BE REFUTED BY ANYONE .
BTW THIS

BTW THIS THING ABOUT LEVEL ONE ; 2;

3 ETC IS A CRUEL JOKE . OUR FORMER

GREAT PLAYERS HAVE A HELL OF A LOT

MORE KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE THAN

THOSE WHO HAVE LEVEL 1 OR WHATEVER

CERTIFICATION .


YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT SOBERS ,

KANHAI , LLOYD ETC HAVE TO BE

CERTIFIED COACH BATTING & GARNER ,

HALL;GRIFFITH ; HOLDING HAVE TO BE

CERTIFIED TO COACH PLAYERS IN

BOWLING .

In reply to bobby

NO!

In reply to Fivestar

They have me wondering.

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

Scotland is a better team than the Worst Indies.

In reply to nitro

In ODIs you are not wrong

just remember, Rovman Powell would have been in this squad if not for injury!

Rovman Powell, stood in as Captain for an entire ODI series!

Rovman Powell averages 15 in FC cricket and 24 in ODIs

That's how worse it currently is

Special mention goes to Fabian Allen

In reply to POINT

Agreed... in addition the impact of the various T20 leagues are puns the world has resulted in a cash grab for our players who are not learning the fundamentals of the game (including using their brains), recognizing that every game is not a T20 game. We just lost another game today that was winnable due to boneheaded mistakes by players at key times. This team always finds ways to lose.

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

We hit rock bottom years ago....of all the reasons cited in this article...Competent Leadership has been omitted. That is what’s needed to begin the turnaround