How Cricket West Indies Has Destroyed West Indies Cricket
The decline of West Indies cricket is not a natural fall from grace but the product of decades of mismanagement, incompetence, and misplaced priorities by Cricket West Indies (CWI). Once the most feared and respected cricketing force in the world, the West Indies now languish near the bottom of the international ladder. This collapse cannot be blamed on talent, for the Caribbean still produces cricketers of skill and promise. Instead, it is the governing body’s failure to manage, nurture, and respect that talent which has brought West Indies cricket to its knees.
At the core of this failure lies chronic incompetence. Rather than instituting structures to rebuild the game at all levels, CWI has often operated like a private club, riddled with nepotism and favoritism. Decisions about selection, administration, and coaching appointments frequently appear to be made not on merit but on personal ties and political considerations. A glaring example is the repeated appointment of unqualified coaches. Instead of hiring experienced individuals with proven records in red-ball cricket or international management, CWI has installed coaches lacking both the credentials and the gravitas to command a professional dressing room. Worse still, the current coach has been handed sweeping authority over selection and strategy, operating with almost no accountability. Such unchecked power has resulted in inconsistent team policies, poor man-management, and a steady erosion of discipline and structure within the squad.
The treatment of players provides further evidence of this dysfunction. Players like Shiv Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brendan Nash, Marlon Samuels, and of more recent vintage, Darren Bravo, Nkrumah Bonner, Jermaine Blackwood, Kraigg Brathwaite, and Kieran Powell have either been prematurely discarded or sidelined without clear explanation. These are players who have, at various points, shouldered the burden of West Indies batting and demonstrated resilience in Test conditions. Yet, rather than providing them with stability and confidence, CWI has often cast them aside, undermining careers and destabilizing the team. At the same time, players who have repeatedly failed at the Test level continue to be recalled, sending the unmistakable message that selection is not about performance but about preference.
Equally damaging is CWI’s arbitrary enforcement of eligibility rules. In the past, regional first-class cricket was the cornerstone of West Indies Test selection. Players had to prove themselves in the longer format before earning the right to represent the Caribbean at the highest level. This created a pipeline of hardened, disciplined cricketers ready for international challenges. Today, that principle has been abandoned. Certain players are fast-tracked into the Test team without demonstrating consistency in the regional competition, while others who dominate first-class cricket are ignored. This inconsistent application of rules not only devalues the regional tournament but also destroys the morale of hardworking cricketers who see no reward for their efforts.
The net effect of these policies is the creation of a culture of instability and favoritism. CWI has fostered an environment where players feel expendable, where selection is unpredictable, and where accountability for poor results is always shifted away from the administrators and onto the players themselves. This culture is not only toxic but also unsustainable. No team can perform with consistency when its governing body operates with opacity, bias, and indifference.
Beyond selection and coaching, CWI has also failed to provide adequate player support structures. Conflicts between the board and senior cricketers over contracts, payment, and respect have been a recurring theme for more than two decades. Instead of treating players as partners in building a stronger cricketing future, the board has too often treated them as adversaries. This adversarial relationship has driven some of the region’s finest talents away from Test cricket and into T20 leagues around the world, depriving the West Indies of stability and leadership.
What has been destroyed is not merely a cricket team but a legacy. West Indies cricket once stood for pride, resilience, and regional unity. It produced heroes who inspired generations across the Caribbean and beyond. Today, that legacy is tarnished by short-sighted decision-making, lack of vision, and the petty politics of those charged with safeguarding it. Instead of laying a foundation for resurgence, CWI’s leadership continues to dig the hole deeper.
The tragedy of West Indies cricket is therefore not a shortage of talent but a surplus of mismanagement. Until CWI itself is fundamentally reformed—until incompetence, nepotism, and unaccountability are rooted out—the West Indies will remain trapped in decline. Revival will require leaders who understand that cricket is bigger than themselves, leaders willing to prioritize merit, transparency, and player development. Only then can the Caribbean dream of restoring its place at the summit of world cricket.
The decline of West Indies cricket is not a natural fall from grace but the product of decades of mismanagement, incompetence, and misplaced priorities by Cricket West Indies (CWI). Once the most feared and respected cricketing force in the world, the West Indies now languish near the bottom of the international ladder. This collapse cannot be blamed on talent, for the Caribbean still produces cricketers of skill and promise. Instead, it is the governing body’s failure to manage, nurture, and respect that talent which has brought West Indies cricket to its knees.
At the core of this failure lies chronic incompetence. Rather than instituting structures to rebuild the game at all levels, CWI has often operated like a private club, riddled with nepotism and favoritism. Decisions about selection, administration, and coaching appointments frequently appear to be made not on merit but on personal ties and political considerations. A glaring example is the repeated appointment of unqualified coaches. Instead of hiring experienced individuals with proven records in red-ball cricket or international management, CWI has installed coaches lacking both the credentials and the gravitas to command a professional dressing room. Worse still, the current coach has been handed sweeping authority over selection and strategy, operating with almost no accountability. Such unchecked power has resulted in inconsistent team policies, poor man-management, and a steady erosion of discipline and structure within the squad.
The treatment of players provides further evidence of this dysfunction. Players like Shiv Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brendan Nash, Marlon Samuels, and of more recent vintage, Darren Bravo, Nkrumah Bonner, Jermaine Blackwood, Kraigg Brathwaite, and Kieran Powell have either been prematurely discarded or sidelined without clear explanation. These are players who have, at various points, shouldered the burden of West Indies batting and demonstrated resilience in Test conditions. Yet, rather than providing them with stability and confidence, CWI has often cast them aside, undermining careers and destabilizing the team. At the same time, players who have repeatedly failed at the Test level continue to be recalled, sending the unmistakable message that selection is not about performance but about preference.
Equally damaging is CWI’s arbitrary enforcement of eligibility rules. In the past, regional first-class cricket was the cornerstone of West Indies Test selection. Players had to prove themselves in the longer format before earning the right to represent the Caribbean at the highest level. This created a pipeline of hardened, disciplined cricketers ready for international challenges. Today, that principle has been abandoned. Certain players are fast-tracked into the Test team without demonstrating consistency in the regional competition, while others who dominate first-class cricket are ignored. This inconsistent application of rules not only devalues the regional tournament but also destroys the morale of hardworking cricketers who see no reward for their efforts.
The net effect of these policies is the creation of a culture of instability and favoritism. CWI has fostered an environment where players feel expendable, where selection is unpredictable, and where accountability for poor results is always shifted away from the administrators and onto the players themselves. This culture is not only toxic but also unsustainable. No team can perform with consistency when its governing body operates with opacity, bias, and indifference.
Beyond selection and coaching, CWI has also failed to provide adequate player support structures. Conflicts between the board and senior cricketers over contracts, payment, and respect have been a recurring theme for more than two decades. Instead of treating players as partners in building a stronger cricketing future, the board has too often treated them as adversaries. This adversarial relationship has driven some of the region’s finest talents away from Test cricket and into T20 leagues around the world, depriving the West Indies of stability and leadership.
What has been destroyed is not merely a cricket team but a legacy. West Indies cricket once stood for pride, resilience, and regional unity. It produced heroes who inspired generations across the Caribbean and beyond. Today, that legacy is tarnished by short-sighted decision-making, lack of vision, and the petty politics of those charged with safeguarding it. Instead of laying a foundation for resurgence, CWI’s leadership continues to dig the hole deeper.
The tragedy of West Indies cricket is therefore not a shortage of talent but a surplus of mismanagement. Until CWI itself is fundamentally reformed—until incompetence, nepotism, and unaccountability are rooted out—the West Indies will remain trapped in decline. Revival will require leaders who understand that cricket is bigger than themselves, leaders willing to prioritize merit, transparency, and player development. Only then can the Caribbean dream of restoring its place at the summit of world cricket.
