Prior to the start of the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup, Cricket West Indies’ Facebook Page had labelled the West Indies team’s campaign to regain its title as the tournament’s reigning champions “Mission Maroon!” With two defeats and just one win, a highly squeaky last over three-run win over Bangladesh, the West Indies team’s Mission Maroon has for all intents and purposes become Mission Improbable, if not altogether impossible.

The first three matches played by the West Indies have also been a major source of embarrassment to its Selectors both at home and at the actual tournament itself.

Having accumulated just two points after its first three matches, the West Indies still has a mathematical chance of emerging as one of the two Group A teams that will progress to the tournament’s semi-final matches. In order to do so, the West Indies will have to win both of its remaining matches against Sri Lanka and Australia by very sizeable margins so as to ensure it has a better run rate than any of the other likely semi-final spot contenders. Sri Lanka, in its very close loss to South Africa, has indicated that it will not in any way be an easy pushover!

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In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

Very nice article......

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

everyone except a delusional few saw this coming

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

this is far from the truth tho

what was controversial about it?

he was the leading wicket taker
and he was also a top performer in the super 50

if you want to argue age then do so but Rampaul earned a spot via performance

and his WC performance isn't poor tho not outstanding

1-14 from 2
0-22 from 3
1-25 from 4



6.77 in T20s is unimpressive?



so the real reason for including Rampaul it to not come over as an attack on Gayle...oh yea
no wonder ppl don't take allyuh seriously

Let me repeat for Reds and the other one

there was nothing controversial about Rampaul's selection if recent performances at regional cricket is the criteria

In reply to doosra

Playing franchise leagues and international cricket...chalk & Cheese..... franchise leagues teams consist of maximum 4 foreign cricketers and very few cricketers of international repute..... one always gets some good runs or wickets against locals...

The article was spot on. The team selection was an embarrassment. I think Gayle should be dropped for the remaining two matches and eventually from the team. However, he may be included and make a flashy 50 and his few remaining fans and the selectors will feel vindicated.

I have to agree with doosra when it comes to Rampaul. He deserves to be in the team based on his pre World Cup performamces. He has done a decent job with the ball so far in the tournament. My question is, if not him, who then? Please don't tell me Oshane Thomas.

In reply to doosra

Perhaps the controversy over Rampaul's selection is that other players who have performed in Regional Competitions have not received the same treatment, neither have dey been granted medical exemptions

Good article, but not good News that the selection crew had their service extended, even two years ago when they selected the team to Bangladesh, they selected some players who were total failures regionally and they were embarrassed when the teams were badly beaten in both the T20's and ODI's

In reply to Windiesfan78

Based on how the bilaterals and the CPL went the only other player who was in the mix as a seamer was Cotterell. So yeah. Rampaul shouldn't have been seen as controversial unless you're a staunch Cotterell backer.

In reply to Maispwi

so can you say how else they should be picked?
clearly it can't be play international to get picked for international

In reply to Maispwi

then say that and identify who instead of Rampaul but they were disingenious in using partial stats

In reply to Tryangle

Rampaul did enough to justify his selection from his performance in the CPL, but I do not think Thomas did, other guys who did better than Thomas were Shepherd and Odean Smith.

In reply to Onionman0

So what comes first, the chicken or the egg?

Sorry, I buck this trend. It was actually not a very good analysis at all. He complains about Chase's non selection based on his CPL performance and yet criticizes the selection of Rampaul based on his CPL performances. Really the second finger should have been pointed at Russell who has not lived up to his hype in either CPL or WC to date but it is unfair to point fingers at any single member of the team when the entire team is doing badly. That is not the fault of Gayle, Rampaul or anyone else. it is simply that we are being outclassed by the other teams to date.

Pointing fingers at the bowling is a red herring.

The bowling unit has over achieved IMO. They’ve been decent and not outclassed as suggested.

Given the construct of the team, we were going to live or die by our batting performances.

Our batting has been woeful. And that’s why we’re in the position we’re in. Not because of the bowling or any bowler, EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT IN FAVOUR OF RAMPAUL’S SELECTION IN THE FIRST PLACE.

And for the article to suggest that a 6.77 bowling economy rate in T20 cricket is somehow unimpressive demonstrates what a hatchet job the article is.

There are ample legit reasons to criticize the term and selection without having to revert to innuendo and bias.


The batting is and has been the problem. From pre tournament warm ups to date.! Aim your weapons squarely in that direction. The rest of it….bowling and largely fielding….has done a decent job thus far.

Rutherford and Brooks were two of the leading WI bats in the recently concluded CPL; Rutherford, a new exciting powerhitter and Brooks, a genuine batsman.....BOTH WERE IGNORED FOR AN AGING OVER THE HILL GAYLE, OVER THE HILL SIMMONDS, OVER THE HILL BRAVO AND INJURED RUSSELL.

Ideally with hindsight now..ONE OR TWO of your experienced players should have been retained....IMO BRAVO.

HOLDER CHASE RUTHERFORD BROOKS for GAYLE SIMMONS,RUSSELL AND RAMPAUL would have made a huge difference.

Having said all that GAYLE and RUSSELL are due big performances now they are selected.

they should be relieved of duty the selectors and the coaching staff

In reply to analyst-kid

It will be too late. It would not matter now, West Indies are eliminated.

In reply to analyst-kid

How do you know they would have made a difference and a huge one at that? Pure speculation with no basis in fact

Hahaha! Hahaha! Hahaha!

Horse done bolt, a long time ago!!! Leh we hope Dem get it rite in 4 years time!
By then, somebody else would be runnin' things. Ah didn't see any mention of that, the most important factor behind WI ills in this useless excuse of an 'article'!!!

In reply to sudden

I always figured at school 1 is more than 0

In reply to analyst-kid
Shamarh Brooks has been around since 2007, that's not including the u19 level, he is 33 years now, have a look at his stats and tell us why he should be in any West Indies squad, he has scored one fifty as a T20 cricketer.
This is why Barbados cricket is the way it is.
Link Text

CPL AVERAGESIn reply to openning

Brooks suggested because of his 214 runs @30.57 scoring at 118.88 in the CPL AND THE FACT THAT HE IS A PURE BATSMAN.

Rutherford 262 @37.42 scoring rate 127.18

Lewis 426 @ 47.63 scoring rate 163.21

Chase 446 @ 49.55 scoring rate 144.33

Brooks 214 @ 30.57 scoring rate 118.88

These were the leading WI bats at the conclusion of the CPL. An average above 30 with a 100+ scoring rate is considered good for T20 cricket.

The reality is that the selectors went for many T20 international cricketers on pure reputation although they had passed their prime and didnt even excel in the CPL

In reply to analyst-kid
Brooks at 33 years should be one of the leading batsman in the region, ally been speaking about his style for almost a couple of decades.
Did he score a fifty in any of the matches?
Chase was rightfully selected scoring 4 fifties at a 144.33.
Bro you cannot continue to support players after 15 years, who continue to remain stagnant.

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

However CWI will come out and support their brainless selectors and maybe give them a raise or bonus.