2018 Windies vs 2000 Windies

[jimmy101]

As to whether this is a ‘false dawn’, have the Windies had any of those (let alone a real one) since 2000? Under Gayle at the end of last decade they did OK for a while but I don’t think you could say that the Windies have even shown much promise of being a good Test side this century.

I remember the 2005 team which toured Australia got talked up a fair bit before the series began. And yeah, under Gayle they weren't half bad either.

 

[jimmy101]

That 2000/01 team, did do the heroics of 98/99 - and were more than acceptable in 1996/97 losing 3-2 in Aus.

That 1999 series was basically Lara vs Australia (and ended up a drawn series, Lara WAG!). And the 96/97 team featured Ambrose & Walsh before they were becoming ancient.

I think by 2000 the Windies were really suffering from an overreliance on Lara/Amby/Walsh, and were screwed once Ambrose & Walsh retired.

 

[Maximas]

This current team has had one flash in the pan against England and little else to write home about. A 1-1 draw with SL (who were missing several first choice players by the end of the series) was their most recent completed result keep in mind.

 

[quincywagstaff]

I remember the 2005 team which toured Australia got talked up a fair bit before the series began. And yeah, under Gayle they weren't half bad either.

Goodness knows why as they’d been largely dreadful (home & away) in the previous couple of years.

I reckon people just looked at the side on paper and saw a lot of talented names who in reality promised more than they delivered (Sarwan, Samuels, Bravo, Edwards, Ramdin) and predictably Australia dominated.

One thing the 2005 & 2018 sides have in common… both have Devon Smith in them!

 

[Mr Miyagi]

This current team has had one flash in the pan against England and little else to write home about. A 1-1 draw with SL (who were missing several first choice players by the end of the series) was their most recent completed result keep in mind.

I don't think anyone is expecting a WI resurgence to number 1 based on Roach and Gabriel taking some wickets. I think we all know WI batting is in real trouble when Powell keeps finding his way into selection. But I think people are just enjoying talking about positives of WI cricket, after so much time and many performances of sub-mediocrity.

 

[anil1405]

What do you think the odds of a Darren Bravo comeback are?

Don't see him doing justice to his talent.

 

[jimmy101]

But I think people are just enjoying talking about positives of WI cricket, after so much time and many performances of sub-mediocrity.

Spot on. Nothing major has happened yet, but if the Windies somehow manage to win back either the Wisden trophy or Frank Worrell one day, people might be pointing to this very small resurgence in 2018 as the catalyst.

Wishful thinking, I know.

 

[jimmy101]

Don't see him doing justice to his talent.

Hopefully he'll turn it around if ever given the chance again. Shame if he went down as a wasteman.

 

[OverratedSanity]

That 2000 looks good on paper but in reality they were depressingly bad. Lara was in the middle of a 3 year form slump (1999 v Oz excepted), Ambrose & Walsh were still challenging bowlers but lacking their peak lethal ability, Adams was done and as someone else said Chanderpaul wouldn’t become consistent for a few years yet.

I guess my memory is defined by how bad they were when they toured Australia at the end of 2000; a guarantee they wouldn’t get any more 5 Test series.

Yeah quite right. Only disagree with Walsh. I think he actually got better towards the end of his career and was much more penetrative than Ambrose at that stage.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Shimron Hetmyer wrongly denied a spot.

In some other universe, he would already have been a veteran of 15 tests under his belt

 

[Mr Miyagi]

Shimron Hetmyer wrongly denied a spot.

In some other universe, he would already have been a veteran of 15 tests under his belt

 

[morgieb]

These are all valid points. On top of that Gayle was still very green, in fact he would be dropped for Adrian Griffith as the series progressed. That 00/01 Australian tour was the stuff of nightmares, and they pretty much had the same team from the OP, minus Ambrose & Gayle.

If anything, the 2018 side gel a lot better as a team

I think Chanders only played one Test in that series too.

 

[quincywagstaff]

Yeah quite right. Only disagree with Walsh. I think he actually got better towards the end of his career and was much more penetrative than Ambrose at that stage.

Walsh was great in England in 2000 but 00/01 was a tour too far from him. Still kept things tight but on Oz pitches just wasn’t a major threat anymore; don’t think took more than two wickets in a an innings at any stage.

 

[jimmy101]

I think Chanders only played one Test in that series too.

He played in the first two actually, and was then ousted for Sarwan.

 

[jimmy101]

Walsh was great in England in 2000 but 00/01 was a tour too far from him. Still kept things tight but on Oz pitches just wasn’t a major threat anymore; don’t think took more than two wickets in a an innings at any stage.

Walsh was probably the only WI bowler the Aussies were paying respect to.

 

[_Ed_]

One thing the 2005 & 2018 sides have in common… both have Devon Smith in them!

A bizarrely long test career.

 

[quincywagstaff]

Gayle, Ambrose Rose and King weren’t on the 2000/01 tour. Ganga replaced Gayle and actually looked capable but never could build a score and was dropped by the final Test.

Backing up Walsh in the pace attack from memory was Dillon, McLean, Stuart, Black and Nagamooto providing some underwhelming fast leg-spin.

Dillon was the best Windies bowler that series; bowled some very good leg-cutters but alas, never really built on the promise he showed.

In contrast, I don’t think I ever saw Nixon McLean seam or swing a ball ever. Marlon Black had a bright start to the series but faded and his Test career never got going.

But their bowling wasn’t bad all things considered; it was their batting that was a disaster.

 

[quincywagstaff]

Just to highlight how the Windies 00/01 batting was, Lara only reached 40 once and yet was the side's leading run-scorer! Jimmy Adams didn't reach 50 once, Sherwin Campbell took till the last Test to reach 20 and the promising Sarwan had a nightmare. Debutant Marlon Samuels, Hinds & Jacobs had their moments but they were depressingly non-competitive.

 

[quincywagstaff]

He played in the first two actually, and was then ousted for Sarwan.

Chanderpaul was injured after the first Test (the only West Indies batsman to make a score of note); they brought in Hinds for him.

 

[sledger]

It is just so obviously the 2000 side.