Will West Indies ever become as good as they were?

[WindieWeathers]

During the brief time I have been in Trinidad I think I have a little insight into the decline of WI cricket and how terminal it is.

First caveat - This is T&T related. I dont know if it is relevant to the other islands.

So many people mention that young people are being drawn to American sports. I always doubted that and I now certainly dont think it is the case. It isnt that people are playing American sports, it is that they are not playing any sports.

Look at Trinidad, their 3 greatest athletes in modern times were Lara, Ato Bolden and Dwight Yorke. All 90s legends and no one of a similar elite level has come through in the past 15-20 years. Why? Well I would guess that now Trinidad is an oil rich country with $20k US GDP per capita (much higher PPP - World Bank puts it above Spain and Portugal for example and the difference between T&T and UK is just the same as the difference between UK and Germany) and a huge increase in American cultural influence (though not sporting) - fast food chains, like many places, are on virtually every corner. The population is 1.2m but there are another 500 000 Trini born people in US. Trinis increasingly look to the US which has led to a decline in interest in the traditional sports but not a corresponding increase interest in US sports. They are not playing other sports. They are not playing sports - a gross oversimplification but I use it to make a point.

An increasingly wealthy country, increasingly sedentary lifestyle, high calorie diet, may actually make for a better standard of living but doesnt help develop hungry and determined athletes. The decline of WI cricket (based on the Trinidad model) may just be a part of becoming wealthier and having greater options in life.

Tbh i can't really agree where Trinidad is concerned. The fact is interms of infrastructure they, along with Barbados and Guyana have the best set-ups going in the caribbean. They have a well run league with well established clubs like the famous Queens Park, they have a great youth academy and have links to Australia and England where they send young teams/players to get experience, they've also been the life blood of our t20 team aswell of course, highlighted by their good performances in the champions league in recent times. All in all Trinidad from the ground up do as much as anyone one else, if not more to lift up West Indies cricket imo and from what i hear they have a lot of young talent waiting to step up, namely Kirstan Kallicharan.

 

[smash84]

by lot of young talent you meant only one person?

 

[ImpatientLime]

With all those upcoming young lads waiting in the wings, I don't see why not.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Tbh i can't really agree where Trinidad is concerned. The fact is interms of infrastructure they, along with Barbados and Guyana have the best set-ups going in the caribbean. They have a well run league with well established clubs like the famous Queens Park, they have a great youth academy and have links to Australia and England where they send young teams/players to get experience, they've also been the life blood of our t20 team aswell of course, highlighted by their good performances in the champions league in recent times. All in all Trinidad from the ground up do as much as anyone one else, if not more to lift up West Indies cricket imo and from what i hear they have a lot of young talent waiting to step up, namely Kirstan Kallicharan.

You are talking about an entirely different thing to Goughy's point.

 

[WindieWeathers]

You are talking about an entirely different thing to Goughy's point.

No i'm not...he's saying "US sport and a better economy than what it was in the past is making people lose interest in cricket" but imo that's not the case...and it's summed up by the fantastic facilities and structure trinidad have got and the amount of youngsters they have coming through...Pooran is another well known talent on the rise.

 

[ImpatientLime]

You have to stop picking random young West Indian players names out of the air. It doesn't mean anything, anyone from any other test playing nation minus the Banglas and Zimbabwe could play this futile game.

The brutal reality is that in the past decade or so the only two players to emerge from the islands that have performed consistently at a good test standard level are Kemar Roach and Daren Bravo.

Hoards and hoards of others have fallen by the wayside, contributing very little.

 

[vic_orthdox]

No i'm not...he's saying "US sport and a better economy than what it was in the past is making people lose interest in cricket" but imo that's not the case...and it's summed up by the fantastic facilities and structure trinidad have got and the amount of youngsters they have coming through...Pooran is another well known talent on the rise.

"There is a big movement towards bike riding"

"Yeah, but we're building roads"

 

[OverratedSanity]

You have to stop picking random young West Indian players names out of the air. It doesn't mean anything, anyone from any other test playing nation minus the Banglas and Zimbabwe could play this futile game.

The brutal reality is that in the past decade or so the only two players to emerge from the islands that have performed consistently at a good test standard level are Kemar Roach and Daren Bravo.

Hoards and hoards of others have fallen by the wayside, contributing very little.

I think it's very telling that West Indies haven't produced one world class player since Lara and Chanderpaul. That said, I think this is probably a more optimistic time to be a West Indian fan than the last 10 years or so. Bravo and Roach, as you said, genuinely look quality. Ramdin has improved a great deal since he's become captain, Brathwaite has tremendouspromise and if Narine somehow escaped the ICC, West Indies have 4-5 good players on a plate. It's not much, but there's no doubt that it is slightly better than what's come in the last decade or so.

 

[Kippax]

 

[Slifer]

Imo this should be the wi team:
Gayle
Brathwaite
Johnson
Bravo
Chanders
Blackwood
Ramdin
Holder
Taylor
Roach
Narine

Don't expect them to be world beaters over night but I'm optimistic that they can improve the current pathetic state of wi cricket

 

[CarlsbergXpress]

I seem to remember hearing that most of the promising tall quick West Indian fast bowlers keep getting poached by the NBA. Seeing as this was always a significant strength of the great WI teams of the past, if that trend continues I can't see them ever getting back to where the belong. As has already been mentioned though, the success of 20/20 and the cash that can be earned may have a positive effect in keeping these promising cricketers in the game. Who'd have thought?

 

[OverratedSanity]

Pooran's lofted shots have a bit of Duminy

 

[Goughy]

No i'm not...he's saying "US sport and a better economy than what it was in the past is making people lose interest in cricket" but imo that's not the case...and it's summed up by the fantastic facilities and structure trinidad have got and the amount of youngsters they have coming through...Pooran is another well known talent on the rise.

Actually I am saying the opposite. US sport isnt having much of an influence at all. The whole playing US sports is bull****.

 

[Teja.]

The answer to the title question in an absolute sense depends more on how long test cricket will exist for than how things in WI will improve.

 

[Kippax]

18 months still sufficient time to blood some new middle order batsmen and have them mentored by Chanders. By no means should new batsman emulate his technique but his patience and hunger for runs is undeniable.

Funnily enough his son (and West Indies U19 Player of the Year) does go some way towards that -

 

[Kippax]

 

[Slifer]

I'm gonna eat some crow but if anybody copied sir Shiv's technique with anywhere near his results the WI will b very well off.

 

[Beamer]

Imo this should be the wi team:
Gayle
Brathwaite
Johnson
Bravo
Chanders
Blackwood
Ramdin
Holder
Taylor
Roach
Narine

Don't expect them to be world beaters over night but I'm optimistic that they can improve the current pathetic state of wi cricket

Totally agree, that side will at least compete against the top test nations even if we're not ready to win consistently yet. Certainly the bowling attack is very strong now, with Benn as the back up spinner who won't let anyone down. We just have to keep Roach and Taylor fit. The main problem is the batting lineup which is talented but untested in many overseas conditions and also the 5th bowling option (we desperately need Dwayne Bravo or Andre Russell to come through in that position but with all this T20 stuff I can't see it happening).

We're not a million miles off being a good test side, we just need to continue improving over the next 12 months where we have some very tricky tours. If all goes well, I reckon we'll be ready to start making real strides in test cricket once England tour next year. By then I hope Kraigg, Johnson and Blackwood will have some really good performances under their belts and we will be able to get runs on the board for our bowling attack to work with.

 

[hendrix]

I just don't see what Narine has done to usurp Benn as the spinner. Benn has been invaluable since his return. Wickets and excellent economy and long spells which have enabled Roach and Taylor the requisite rest.

 

[Slifer]

I just don't see what Narine has done to usurp Benn as the spinner. Benn has been invaluable since his return. Wickets and excellent economy and long spells which have enabled Roach and Taylor the requisite rest.

I see ur point about Benn