ICC World T20 2016 - West Indies have won the small battles, but not the war
When the young guns of West Indies Under-19 rejoiced and celebrated their maiden ICC Under-19 World Cup triumph in Dhaka, the mood of the ardent followers of West Indies cricket was elated and they expressed their immense emotions for the Caribbean young men’s brilliant achievement.
Despite limited facilities and off-the-field-chaos, the young guns from the Caribbean overcame all the obstacles to convey a message to the world that, still, there is hope left in West Indies Cricket. A few months later, Carlos Brathwaite took Ben Stokes’ bowling to the cleaners and triggered wild celebrations in Kolkata.
West Indies lifted the ICC World T20 trophy for the second time and left the print, electronic and social media amazed. The modern day fans and critics praised the Caribbean’s effort throughout the tournament and many of them expressed their utmost sympathy towards the team after Darren Sammy’s emotional speech.
Critics are expecting a turnaround of Caribbean cricket after a historic treble of World Cups.The same was expected from them after their T20 triumph in 2012 as well. But sadly, nothing changed. And if we look at their performance in the longer formats, West Indies remained a butt of joke till 2015.
There were victories here and there, but the amount of humiliating defeats were so much that it overshadowed those once-in-a-blue-moon achievements. West Indies cricket’s progression remained stagnant.
How West Indies can take clue from Sri Lanka
When Arjuna Ranatunga lifted the World Cup at Lahore for the first time in 1996, it brought people of the tiny island on one platform and worked as a huge motivating factor. Gradually, Sri Lanka became a force to be reckoned in world cricket, but that ultimate fulfillment did not come until they became a consistent side in Test cricket.
In the late 90s, Sri Lankan batsmen and bowlers started to stamp their authority in Test matches and their improvement as a team became a role model for others. Sri Lanka’s success in one-day cricket inspired them to set high standards in world cricket and above all, it created a legacy to produce quality cricketers whose loyalty towards their national team and the game of cricket is unquestionable.
The Sri Lankan Cricket Board is not run by saint brains, but corruption has earned them a bad name. How much money the current crop of young Sri Lankan players earn remains a moot question. But despite such sensitive issues, the Lankan players give their all for the improvement of the Sri Lankan cricket team.
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is a corrupt body as well and their tussle with the senior players has tarnished the image of Caribbean cricket over the years. Petty quarrels, personal gains, big egos, etc. have been the story of West Indies cricket so far and neither the Board nor the players are ready to cut short their ego and take Caribbean cricket forward.