Ignored by the controversy surrounding India's decision to call
off a Test Match needing 86 runs off 90 balls was the continued
improvement of their counterparts. Since a 2-1 series loss against
Australia in 1995, the West Indies have fallen spectacularly from their
position at the top of the cricketing world. Players such as Clive
Lloyd, Malcolm Marshall and Sir Viv Richards (to name a few) retired
during a 5 year period which devastated a younger side in the long term.
But are we finally now about to witness a renaissance in one of the most exciting sides, historically, in world cricket?
First, here is a comparison of the West Indies' performances in Test series before and after the Australia defeat:
1980-1994: Played 29, Won 20, Drawn 9, Lost 0
1995-Now: Played 50, Won 13, Drawn 7, Lost 30
NOTE: a mere glance at these stats highlights just how extraordinary a team the West Indies of the 80s and early 90s were. A potential future article could be a comparison of them and the exploits of the Australian side who snatched the mantle of 'greatest cricketing side in the world' from them.
Now, let's examine the performances of the latter West Indies side further:
1995-2003: Played 25, Won 10, Drawn 2, Lost 13
2004-Now: Played 25, Won 3, Drawn 5, Lost 17
When you consider that these 3 victories came against Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and an England side still reeling from the Pietersen-Moores debacle and it compounds the astonishing collapse of a great cricketing nation.
This barren period for the Windies includes whitewashes to South Africa, Australia and England and even the ignominy of a 2-0 defeat at home to Bangladesh in 2009.
However, a shoots of life have suddenly sprouted from a side under the captaincy of Darren Sammy boasting a number of exciting young talents to blend with some of the more experienced campaigners. Of course, we have been down this road before with the West Indies. Who can forget Dwayne Smith and his 93-ball hundred on Test debut against South Africa. One of the most naturally talented batsman in terms of ability to see and strike the ball, Smith averaged a paltry 16.22 in 77 ODIs for West Indies.
NOTE: As a comparison, in 201 ODIs Brett Lee has averaged 16.25 runs to go with his 349 wickets. I know who I'd rather have in my side.
Even now we still get treated to the occasional exhilarating innings from Kieron Pollard - a man who 4 IPL franchises saw fit to bid the $750,000 for (for cricketing or marketing reasons I wonder?). Yet, Pollard has so far managed just 4 50s in 42 ODIs and has a T20 average of 12.33. Hardly the stuff that keeps fast bowlers awake at night.
But now, the Windies have introduced a core of youngsters who are beginning to perform consistently for them instead of keeping their place in the team on untapped potential. Among them is Darren Bravo, half-brother of team-mate Dwayne, who has drawn comparisons with non other than the great Brian Lara (incidentally, his second cousin). For a left-handed batsman who plays in a similar style to the Trinidadian legend, it is high praise considering his failure thus far to score a century in Tests or ODIs. Furthermore, one need only look at the number of Brazilian and Argentinian footballers labelled the next Pele or Maradona to see the pressure this can instill on a young man. However, an average of 40 and 33 in the respective forms is an encouraging start by the 22 year-old who still has time on his side.
Kemar Roach is another one who was drafted into the team at the tender age of 19 and has impressed the critics. Capable of bowling at speeds of up to 93mph, Roach made his international debut in the T20 match against Australia in 2008 having only played in 4 first-class matches beforehand. Finishing with match-best figures of 2/29 signaled the his vast potential. Thus far, Roach averages below 30 with the ball in all forms of cricket. Even more impressive, he led an inexperienced Windies attack in Australia in 2009, drawing praise from the likes of Ricky Ponting and Ian Chappell as a star of the future. Roach was also the man of the series the following year in Sri Lanka - a country known for providing slow and dusty pitches unhelpful for fast bowlers. A hat-trick against the Netherlands in this year's World Cup aided him on his way to career-best figures of 6/27.
Devendra Bishoo and Kirk Edwards have both recently become regulars in both formats. Bishoo. a leg-spinner, has impressed many with his attacking style of bowling and has become regarded as one of the Windies' primary wicket-takers. Even more entertaining is his post-match interviews! Edwards recently scored a dogged 110 against India on his Test debut to help draw the match: displaying a great deal of determination and grit in his innings.
Add to these young players experienced performers such as Shivnarine Chanderpaul (who, at 36, is still going strong judging by his recent century against India), Dwayne Bravo and Ramnaresh Sarwan and there is a core group of players to introduce an exciting new beginning for the Caribbean.
Despite this, questions still continue to surround the team. The controversy surrounding the long-standing feud between former-captain Chris Gayle and the West Indies Cricket Board has long overshadowed their recent achievements (a summary of which can be found here). Indeed, this saga underlines the lack of professionalism still inherent within the Windies' administration still seething from the pay disputes of 2009.
Furthermore, there are still question marks surrounding the worthiness of captain Darren Sammy's place in the side. The skipper has failed to justify his selection as an all-rounder keeping Kemar Roach out of the side with a series of poor performances with the bat overshadowing his moderate success with the ball. However, a recent interview with CricInfo highlighted Sammy's determination to instill a professional ethos, high fitness levels and more exposure to young talent in order to further his team.
Sammy has stated his aim being to reach the top 5 with the West Indies by 2015. After years of simply selecting their best player for the role of captain, maybe the English approach of prioritising leadership skills over talent (Hussain, Atherton, Vaughan and Cook in ODIs) may prove to be the correct one in pointing this proud cricketing nation in the right direction.
But are we finally now about to witness a renaissance in one of the most exciting sides, historically, in world cricket?
First, here is a comparison of the West Indies' performances in Test series before and after the Australia defeat:
1980-1994: Played 29, Won 20, Drawn 9, Lost 0
1995-Now: Played 50, Won 13, Drawn 7, Lost 30
NOTE: a mere glance at these stats highlights just how extraordinary a team the West Indies of the 80s and early 90s were. A potential future article could be a comparison of them and the exploits of the Australian side who snatched the mantle of 'greatest cricketing side in the world' from them.
Now, let's examine the performances of the latter West Indies side further:
1995-2003: Played 25, Won 10, Drawn 2, Lost 13
2004-Now: Played 25, Won 3, Drawn 5, Lost 17
When you consider that these 3 victories came against Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and an England side still reeling from the Pietersen-Moores debacle and it compounds the astonishing collapse of a great cricketing nation.
This barren period for the Windies includes whitewashes to South Africa, Australia and England and even the ignominy of a 2-0 defeat at home to Bangladesh in 2009.
However, a shoots of life have suddenly sprouted from a side under the captaincy of Darren Sammy boasting a number of exciting young talents to blend with some of the more experienced campaigners. Of course, we have been down this road before with the West Indies. Who can forget Dwayne Smith and his 93-ball hundred on Test debut against South Africa. One of the most naturally talented batsman in terms of ability to see and strike the ball, Smith averaged a paltry 16.22 in 77 ODIs for West Indies.
NOTE: As a comparison, in 201 ODIs Brett Lee has averaged 16.25 runs to go with his 349 wickets. I know who I'd rather have in my side.
Even now we still get treated to the occasional exhilarating innings from Kieron Pollard - a man who 4 IPL franchises saw fit to bid the $750,000 for (for cricketing or marketing reasons I wonder?). Yet, Pollard has so far managed just 4 50s in 42 ODIs and has a T20 average of 12.33. Hardly the stuff that keeps fast bowlers awake at night.
But now, the Windies have introduced a core of youngsters who are beginning to perform consistently for them instead of keeping their place in the team on untapped potential. Among them is Darren Bravo, half-brother of team-mate Dwayne, who has drawn comparisons with non other than the great Brian Lara (incidentally, his second cousin). For a left-handed batsman who plays in a similar style to the Trinidadian legend, it is high praise considering his failure thus far to score a century in Tests or ODIs. Furthermore, one need only look at the number of Brazilian and Argentinian footballers labelled the next Pele or Maradona to see the pressure this can instill on a young man. However, an average of 40 and 33 in the respective forms is an encouraging start by the 22 year-old who still has time on his side.
Kemar Roach is another one who was drafted into the team at the tender age of 19 and has impressed the critics. Capable of bowling at speeds of up to 93mph, Roach made his international debut in the T20 match against Australia in 2008 having only played in 4 first-class matches beforehand. Finishing with match-best figures of 2/29 signaled the his vast potential. Thus far, Roach averages below 30 with the ball in all forms of cricket. Even more impressive, he led an inexperienced Windies attack in Australia in 2009, drawing praise from the likes of Ricky Ponting and Ian Chappell as a star of the future. Roach was also the man of the series the following year in Sri Lanka - a country known for providing slow and dusty pitches unhelpful for fast bowlers. A hat-trick against the Netherlands in this year's World Cup aided him on his way to career-best figures of 6/27.
Devendra Bishoo and Kirk Edwards have both recently become regulars in both formats. Bishoo. a leg-spinner, has impressed many with his attacking style of bowling and has become regarded as one of the Windies' primary wicket-takers. Even more entertaining is his post-match interviews! Edwards recently scored a dogged 110 against India on his Test debut to help draw the match: displaying a great deal of determination and grit in his innings.
Add to these young players experienced performers such as Shivnarine Chanderpaul (who, at 36, is still going strong judging by his recent century against India), Dwayne Bravo and Ramnaresh Sarwan and there is a core group of players to introduce an exciting new beginning for the Caribbean.
Despite this, questions still continue to surround the team. The controversy surrounding the long-standing feud between former-captain Chris Gayle and the West Indies Cricket Board has long overshadowed their recent achievements (a summary of which can be found here). Indeed, this saga underlines the lack of professionalism still inherent within the Windies' administration still seething from the pay disputes of 2009.
Furthermore, there are still question marks surrounding the worthiness of captain Darren Sammy's place in the side. The skipper has failed to justify his selection as an all-rounder keeping Kemar Roach out of the side with a series of poor performances with the bat overshadowing his moderate success with the ball. However, a recent interview with CricInfo highlighted Sammy's determination to instill a professional ethos, high fitness levels and more exposure to young talent in order to further his team.
Sammy has stated his aim being to reach the top 5 with the West Indies by 2015. After years of simply selecting their best player for the role of captain, maybe the English approach of prioritising leadership skills over talent (Hussain, Atherton, Vaughan and Cook in ODIs) may prove to be the correct one in pointing this proud cricketing nation in the right direction.
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