Lesson from West Indies - a little more fun please

Their celebration was like no other. From the dusting off of Marlon Samuels to the one-handed push-ups from Chris Gayle, the West Indies’ celebration resembled nothing familiar. Then again, so was their start. The beginning few overs of the final began to show worrisome signs. Their batting in the final would cause a psychologist to diagnose the team with split-personality disorder.

They came out actually looking to win the final. It began to show that West Indies had stopped having fun.

Chris Gayle, Johnson Charles and Marlon Samuels combined to score 14 runs in the powerplay. Gayle took his mantra of playing out the initial deliveries a bit too far. When West Indies lost Gayle, their chances of winning the trophy reduced drastically. But then came the fightback. Marlon Samuels played an innings his talent had promised years ago. Ably supported by the other batsmen, they put on a competitive score.

Once Ravi Rampaul got Dilshan bowled off a delivery that pitched on off, straightened and hit the top of the stump, the party began. They were happy again and how!

Even when Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene were batting together, the West Indians were still enjoying themselves. As soon as they picked up Sanga, the dances came out. Once Malinga was dismissed, they lost control.

The victory was even more special perhaps, because it was not a solo Chris Gayle show. En route to their victory they answered many questions. They have the depth, the brains and the temerity to outplay a country in its own backyard. At the post-match presentation, Samuels said two years of hard work had paid off for him but he still needed to score more runs in Test cricket. ‘Test cricket is the best’ is what he said. This coming from the hero of the final in a World T20 is the right guidance for the future of West Indies cricket.

Darren Sammy, the much talked about ‘why is he in the team’ captain, also praised Samuels. However, Sammy played an equally important role in West Indies’ campaign. His handling of Sunil Narine was a blend of aggression and conservation. Perhaps the only questionable decision he took was the inclusion of Johnson Charles and Andre Russell – and even that did not matter in the end.

There is a lesson in this for West Indies cricket. One that could lead them back to their forsaken glory days. They have to stop taking their cricket seriously – which is not to say they shouldn’t work on their game. But they must do so with a big burst of Calypso flavour. This victory will be remembered more for their celebration rather than the way the played. It was tough to feel bad for the Sri Lankans, when one was busy falling in love with a happy West Indian contingent. If they continue to play this way, rooting for one’s own nation might become difficult. However, a strong and happy-go-lucky West Indies team is exactly what cricket needs right now. If not for them, interest would have dropped with India’s exit. Cricket is a lot more fun to watch when the players are having fun too. Perhaps the world needs to follow West Indies’ cue.