West Indies Team Discussion

[Aislabie]

Johnson Charles has to be a contender for my favourite player in international cricket right now, mostly for how bizarre it is that he plays



I mean look at this. To turn those numbers into what is well on its way to a 100-cap international career is truly extraordinary. Add to that the fact that he's completely willing to bowl or keep if the team wants him to and you truly do have the complete package. Well, almost...



He's has still been a short-sleeve keeper for about ten years, and that is still a crime against cricket.

 

[wasteyouryouth]

John Campbell banned for four years for anti-doping rule violation

According to Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission, the batter refused to provide a blood sample at his home in Kingston in April

www.espncricinfo.com

@Aislabie won't have to despair over his batting anymore

 

[Aislabie]

John Campbell banned for four years for anti-doping rule violation

According to Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission, the batter refused to provide a blood sample at his home in Kingston in April

www.espncricinfo.com

@Aislabie won't have to despair over his batting anymore

Not gonna lie I'm a bit sad. I'd come round to the idea of Campbell and Crawley playing 100 Tests each

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Not gonna lie I'm a bit sad. I'd come round to the idea of Campbell and Crawley playing 100 Tests each

Crawley will play enough for both of them.

 

[icyman]

I dont think they will play many Tests as team now. With the number of T20 games around the world+ Cricket in Commonwealth/ Olympics, I say, these are the last few days of WI as a team. Sooner or later, the individual island would start making a claim for spots and perhaps that how it should be with them.

They have become an absolute disgrace as far as Test and ODI are concerned. Better for the cricketing word if we see less of them.

 

[Na Maloom Afraad]

Postmortem? o.O

 

[Neo 7]

Postmortem? o.O

Translation : Let them speak . They are hurt

 

[Bevab]

You've pointed out their infra, management,players and everything else is in a state of disarray. For a conglomerate of nations to get government support in terms of funding is going to be difficult. Gone are the glory days where the Isles had a robust structure and a proper approach to Cricket in general.

Disbanding the Isles into individual nations would probably make more sense given their players are already plying their trades elsewhere.

East Africa is a perfect example. While they never reached the dizzying heights the WI managed, the East Africans were disbanded nevertheless.

The current WI team lacks consistency given that their top players hold the board to a ransom. We have seen this with Gayle, Pollard, Narine and Russell. Gayle would have happily turned up for his home nation come what may. The way WICB has managed the game in the changing era of T20 has definitely made their players lose interest in the game. For WI players, representing the conglomerate is no longer a sign of success. In fact, their players appearing in leagues around the world seems to craft a bigger success story than anything else.

Post automatically merged: Oct 21, 2022

PKR ?

Responding here as it is more relevant in this thread.

East Africa was way before my time but weren’t they just a stand-in for the South Africa side that was supposed to take part but couldn’t because of the apartheid ban? It’s also a bit disingenuous to compare them to West Indies, even the early 30s West Indian side would defeat them comfortably let alone the one today.

The biggest issue in the Carribean nations regarding cricket is simply the lack of returns compared to other sports. Most talented athletes prefer to try their luck at basketball or athletic events these days than play cricket owing to that reason. Their domestic cricket has also been hit badly by Covid which hasn’t replenished the cricket pipeline recently as well as it should have (already on the way to be amended with a List A tournament finally in ages). Splitting the nations isn’t going to solve the former issue at all.

The secondary issue is one that you’re not recognising. There isn’t a sheer lack of talent like you claim but several blokes have stagnated and the side is underachieving as a result. This hasn’t been helped by the individuals in key positions not being up to task. This isn’t an infrastructure issue, it’s rather Desmond Haynes consistently picking poor white ball squads in every series, Simmons being bang average if not poor as a coach and Pooran looking completely lost as the captain and star batter. There have also been positives in their player development recently too, Alzarri has gone from being a potentially lost talent to a world class pacer now, Hosein has been a tidy spinner, Seales has been steadily impressive, Motie looked good when he played and Chanderpaul has been coming along nicely and looks set for a test debut any day now.

I’m yet again reiterating what I’ve said earlier as to their cricketers not showing signs of any lack of pride or nationalistic ideas about representation for a conglomerate as you term this side. Pollard isn’t going to magically turn up in whites and hunker down for a test series just because Trinidad and Tobago will play them and the same goes for anyone else you believe might have come back. These cricketers would still be preferring T20 leagues over what they would earn from West Indies and this is owing to making the most of a career rather than an absence of national pride. It’s pure conjecture at this point but as I’ve said there have been no mentions or signs that anybody wants to specifically only represent their island nation in cricket.

Even if you were to split them up after all this, how many islands do you think will remain competitive? Barbados would owing to their influence and the infrastructure already in place. Maybe Trinidad? I don’t see the rest of them lasting long. They wouldn’t even be able to retain their current players with the loss of the collective income that they benefit from now.

Finally I shall ask yet again, who do you believe is waiting on the sidelines that will walk in and make this XI better Russell apart (and I’ve provided the reasons as to why he might not even be the best option)? This is close to the best if not the best side they can put out at the moment. There was a marked shift in 2019 when the new board was formed as to management of players and since then there hasn’t been any major issue between the board and players. Blaming just the previous crop of players (who are also two times champions with this side I might add) for the issues is a very myopic view that excuses the WICB when they had major problems of their own.

 

[icyman]

I agree with the decline and sad state of affairs in the WICB. Perhaps, they then need to take a leaf out of Zimbabwe's book and sideline themselves for some time i.e a self-imposed exile. Not saying it did Zimbabwe much favour, but with the Windies, they could then concentrate on the T2o format alone.

Splitting up the islands would perhaps provide a clearer pathway and pipeline for individual boards. Desmond Haynes' tenure is being blamed cause they need a scapegoat. A majority will haul him up for not selecting Narine and Russell. IMO, you ought to play and be a part of the group if you want to be consistently featured in the games. The day isn't far when most of their players would hop across the border and try to play for USA- who have already assembled quite an arsenal.

Finally I shall ask yet again, who do you believe is waiting on the sidelines that will walk in and make this XI better Russell apart (and I’ve provided the reasons as to why he might not even be the best option)?

No one tbh! And hence my suggestion to split it up. If the popularity of the game is one the wane in the islands, they might not be able to sustain themselves for longer.

Pollard bemoans 'sad day' for WI cricket, says players not at fault for T20 WC exit

Former captain says team's T20I decline started in 2016, and urges "all stakeholders" to come together and find a way forward

www.espncricinfo.com

Pollard thinks the players aren't to blame. Perhaps, he need to cop some blame himself when he says the decline started in 2016- wasnt he a art of the team then? Also as a leader, he has done nothing to arrest the slide of his side.

Simmons quits as West Indies coach after 'unfathomable' World Cup exit

His last assignment will be the two Tests in Australia which start late next month

www.espncricinfo.com

This was expected!

 

[pillowprocter]

Shepherd and Odean Smith should really just bat in the finisher role and bowl MAX two overs per match. They are, quite apparently, not good enough to bowl 4 overs at the international level. Another option is going into powerplay hitting.

 

[icyman]

Has the time come to end the 'West Indies Experiment'?

West Indies is the only multi-nation sports team that operates globally on an annual basis

www.cricbuzz.com

Good that writers have started questioning the 'West Indies'. With their inability to make it to the World Cup, I do not see them making a comeback from here. I believe the voices will only grow in favour of a breakup. With Cricket due at the Olympics and Commonwealth, the case for individual nations standing up for themselves becomes more important.

 

[pillowprocter]

Sad to see Jewel Andrew bag a goldie on FC debut after a promising U19WC. In other news, T&T are captained by a guy named "Bryan Charles". Hmmmmmmm

 

[Viper.]

Tony Cozier on whether Under-19 fast bowler Alzarri Joseph should be picked for West Indies | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

To talk about it, I would certainly put Joseph in the team with Taylor. Taylor has been our best bowler barring the Australia tour while Roach has lost his pace and got a niggle too last month so I would not take any chances. Even if Joseph does not do any good, he would have an invaluable experience of playing against top players and under someone like Curtly Ambrose and with Taylor who can teach him quite a lot about bowling which will be so very helpful for him given his young age and a possible long international career.

I would not even mind throwing Pope to the mix after a domestic season in the absence of Gayle. Pope has similar approach towards the game but I feel he needs few more matches under his belt before he can take on the best bowlers around the world.

Damn, this was in 2016.. What a rise for Joseph now

 

[Bevab]

Yeah, Alzarri and Seales have both been highly rated prospects ever since they first appeared on the scene. If anything Alzarri hasn’t quite hit the heights that were first expected of him and Seales hasn’t really kicked on either (although that may have more to do with his injuries).

 

[cricfan123]

Anyone got concerns about Brendon King lack of cricket he not played a game since June