The roller coaster of West Indies cricket veers off track

THE HUMBLING defeat that the West Indies received at the hands of Ireland in the first round of the ongoing T20 World Cup represents a profound reality check. Needless to say, this will not significantly affect the bank balances of the current crop of players. The drubbing that they got from the Irish came days after they were also comprehensively beaten by Scotland. I won’t say much about the quality of their opponents since it would be an indictment on their ascension over the years. Instead, I prefer to scrutinise West Indies’ gradual decline in their favourite format.

It is a matter of perspective here. Instructively, the signs were ominous that the West Indies would struggle in this World Cup. The writing was on the wall and floor! Sadly, we were lured into a vortex of optimism as a result of our triumphs in 2012 and 2016, respectively. Their poor run of form stretches way back. This is now the crescendo, and the fans are waxing lyrical all over the world. The walls of criticism are tumbling down from every direction. I have seen the memes and I have read the vitriolic comments all over social media. However, I won’t take that route. I much prefer to uplift the spirit of the Caribbean people and the diaspora by promulgating feasible recommendations.

PROVEN MATCH-WINNERS

Firstly, we need to pick our best players for events of this magnitude. We do not have the quality talent pool to be omitting the likes of Andre Russell and Fabian Allen. These are proven match-winners who bring great athleticism and star quality to the team. Where were they? At home on their sofas. For those of you who are saying that they flopped in CPL 2022, my response would be “form is temporary; class is permanent”. In the case of Shimron Hetmyer, the administration needs to find a way to reignite the passion of wanting to wear the maroon colours. It is quite clear that Hetmyer does not want to play for the West Indies, since he missed his flight to the World Cup twice.

Secondly, an overt T20 identity needs to be formulated. The batsmen are clueless as it relates to strike rotation and the big-hitters have been found out because of their lack of dexterity against quality spinners. There is a concept in the world of business called the Kaizen Approach that is applicable here. It centres on gradual, continuous improvement in order to ensure efficiency and to gain or regain a competitive advantage. Given the commercialisation of West Indies cricket as a brand, more needs to be done using the Kaizen Approach. All the other cricketing nations are evolving while West Indies have remained static.

DIGGING DEEP

Additionally, insularity is a perennial matter that needs to be eradicated in its entirety when it comes to player selection and the hosting of matches. Fittingly, the T20 World Cup is being played Down Under. We need to start digging deep for some answers.

This is a conundrum of cataclysmic proportions as the kings of T20 cricket have fallen flat on their faces, from Mt Everest into an abyss. A well-crafted rescue plan is needed and I hope that some of the aforementioned recommendations are useful.

However, the players need to turn the searchlight upon themselves before any positive changes can be effected. I do hope there is a renaissance in the very near future, for the fans’ sake.

Sport Pulse and Sport Matters are fortnightly columns highlighting advances that impact Sport. We look forward to your continued readership.Andy A. Spence is a cricket enthusiast who has been following the sport from a very tender age. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Language, Communication & Society and an MA in Linguistics, both from The University of the West Indies, Mona campus. He can be contacted at andy.spence16@yahoo.com.