Abu Dhabi: A poor management directly affects the functioning of any organisation and West Indies team serves as a perfect example. The Windies board has struggled to strike the right cord between them and the players resulting in a long-running tussle that has not only hurt their cricket but also dented their World Cup hopes severely.
Once known as the invincible, Windies ruled World Cricket in the 70s-80s with their fastest and most intimidating battery of pace bowlers and created history by winning back-to-back World Cups in 1975 and 1979. A hat-trick was also on cards in 1983 until India spoiled their party. Since then, Windies cricket has hit several road blocks and has been on a sharp decline. The last impression they made was way back in 1992 by reaching the semis.
All hell broke loose from the time they withdrew from the India tour midway last year over payment issues and that didn’t go well with board. It triggered West Indies Cricket Board to call the whip on their captain Dwayne Bravo, who along with flashy all-rounder Kieron Pollard, was given the boot from the World Cup squad.
Very little thought has gone into handing the captaincy to the inexperienced fast bowler Jason Holder, who not even in his wildest dreams, would have thought that such an opportunity would land in his lap so soon.
This move would have done more harm than good as there are several players in their ranks, who are worthy contenders for the post. Holder would definitely find it tough to get things rolling from a discontent unit.
Despite all the farce, West Indies have the firepower to at least make it to the quarter-finals but they haven’t been very effective since winning the World Twenty20 in 2012.
In the build-up to the mega event, Windies clashed with South Africa, one of the favourites for the World Cup and apart from a dramatic one-wicket win in Port Elizabeth, the contest had largely been one-sided. The Proteas won the series 4-1 and the telling blow was handed by AB de Villiers, who romped to the fasted ODI century in history off just 31 balls. Windies conceded 439 runs and took just two wickets in that match at Johannesburg and three days later, West Indies were bowled out for just 122.
And in the warm-up match on Monday, England gave Windies a wake-up call with seamer Chris Woakes ran through their spineless batting, claiming five wickets to script an authoritative nine-wicket win in Sydney. Woakes took 5-19 in 7.3 overs with his impressive swing bowling and dismissed West Indies for a paltry 122 in 29.3 overs. England chased down the target for the loss of just one wicket in 22.5 overs.
Windies World Cup campaign rely heavily on swashbuckling batsman Chris Gayle, who can demolish any opposition on his day but he has been woefully out of form in recent times. The 35-year-old, who has scored 8,881 runs in 263 ODIs has been very effective in the Twenty20 format, but struggled in the ODIs. He has just one half-century in his last 17 innings and has also has expressed his displeasure over the sacking of Bravo and Pollard.
Windies would be hoping that Gayle is in the right frame of mind to provide them with those deft starts along with the hard-hitting Dwayne Smith.
Marlon Samuels will also have to shoulder a lot of responsibility. He along with Darren Sammy, Andre Russell and Denesh Ramdin gives depth to the middle order and are capable of producing match-winning knocks.
Kemar Roach, who claimed a hat-trick in a World Cup on his way to career-best figures of 6-27 against the Netherlands in 2011 World Cup, will have to bowl at his best and provide breakthroughs for Windies. What hit Windies the most is the absence of their mystery spinner Sunil Narine, who withdrew from the squad to work on his altered bowling action. However, Narine’s refusal of central contract from the West Indies board last month makes it clear that all is not well between him and the parent body.
In Narine’s absence, left-arm orthodox spinners Sulieman Benn and Nikita Miller will have to show some magic on the tracks that provide assistance to the pacers more. All-rounders Lendl Simmons, Jonathan Carter and Jerome Taylor all will have to up their game if Windies have to make any impact at the World Cup.
