New Delhi [India], July 16 (ANI): West Indies cricket plunged to a brand new low throughout the third Check in opposition to Australia at Kingston, the place they had been bowled out for simply 27 runs, the second-lowest whole in Check historical past. The dismal show has additional highlighted the long-standing struggles of the once-mighty cricketing powerhouse.
The group’s poor exhibiting wasn’t an remoted incident. West Indies have failed to seek out consistency all through the World Check Championship (WTC) cycles, ending eighth in all three editions. Their red-ball cricket has seemed more and more out of sync with the calls for of the trendy recreation, and their decline continues to harm the worldwide Check cricket ecosystem.
Including to the regarding pattern is the rising variety of gamers prioritising franchise T20 cricket over worldwide commitments. Nicholas Pooran, as soon as seen as the way forward for Caribbean cricket, retired from worldwide cricket at simply 29, although he continues to shine in numerous T20 leagues throughout the globe.
Cricket legend Brian Lara has voiced his concern over the altering mindset amongst gamers on the Follow Cricket podcast.
He stated, ‘We performed first-class cricket and a few of us even performed county cricket to attempt to get into the West Indies group. We are actually utilizing the WI as a stepping stone you already know to, as a stage for us, to get contracts round (for franchise cricket circuit) and that isn’t a fault of the participant you already know…’
Lara’s phrases mirror the stark distinction between previous generations that aspired for Check greatness and the current crop, a lot of whom use worldwide appearances as a launchpad for profitable T20 alternatives.
The decline is not restricted to the longest format. Since successful the T20 World Cup in 2016, West Indies have not clinched a significant ICC title. Their failure to qualify for the 2023 ODI World Cup marked one other blow, symbolising a system struggling to provide outcomes throughout codecs.
The cricketing world is starting to see the imbalance that could be contributing to this downfall. Former England all-rounder David Lloyd pointed fingers on the structural inequalities in international cricket.
Talking on the Follow Cricket podcast, he stated, ‘The large three (England, Australia and India), that may’t be proper that they take all the cash, they get the large broadcast offers. You have to have a extra even distribution to permit West Indies, New Zealand, Sri Lanka to compete.’ (ANI)
