South Africa, West Indies show youth and experience are opposite sides of the same coin
West Indies' squad for their upcoming T20I series against South Africa and Australia features a lot of familiar faces. The Windies are set to play three five-match T20I series, against South Africa, Australia and Pakistan, before embarking on their quest to defend the T20 World Cup title.
West Indies' squad: Kieron Pollard (c), Nicholas Pooran, Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Kevin Sinclair, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr
While Sunil Narine remains unavailable for international selection with concerns over his action, the old guard that has won West Indies a pair of T20 World Cup trophies continues to oversee the development of the team. Kieron Pollard's leadership has transformed the side, with veterans like Dwayne Bravo, Fidel Edwards, Lendl Simmons and Andre Russell there to assist their skipper.
Speaking about the selected team, West Indies coach Phil Simmons said:
"We have assembled a very solid squad — with experienced world-class match-winners and some exciting young talented players, ready to explode onto the global stage and do great things for West Indies cricket."
Each time the T20 World Cup rolls around as part of its two-year cycle, Cricket West Indies turn to the plethora of experienced white-ball players at their disposal. Even if they haven't played for the country often, players like Russell, Bravo and Chris Gayle storm back into the side with a clear win-now mentality.
And slowly, West Indies are grooming the next generation of players who can take over. Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran, the latter who has now been appointed the captain of Caribbean Premier League (CPL) franchise Guyana Amazon Warriors, form the backbone of the batting lineup.
The bowling attack, which has been searching for a quality leg-spinner for many years now, can avail the services of the exciting Hayden Walsh Jr and Obed McCoy. All-rounders are a staple of any West Indies team - in this case, Fabian Allen and Jason Holder apart from Bravo and Russell.
But South Africa, on the other hand, have adopted a completely different approach. And the results - or lack thereof - are there for all to see.
De Villiers, Morris, Du Plessis and the enforced period of transition in South Africa
South Africa, meanwhile, have adopted a completely different approach - a rabbit hole that they didn't mean to fall into, but thanks to a clear lack of communication between the players and the board, they invariably did.
South Africa's futile attempts to coax AB de Villiers out of international retirement, combined with the uncertain futures of Faf du Plessis and Chris Morris, have led to an air of confusion and despondence in the team.
With players like Rassie van der Dussen, Anrich Nortje and Aiden Markram stepping up to the plate in white-ball cricket, the Proteas are slowly but steadily moving up the ladder. But the shadows of De Villiers, Du Plessis and even Hashim Amla loom ominously over a side trying desperately to raise their profile once again in international cricket.
The effect of this will be visible in ICC tournaments, starting with this year's T20 World Cup. At the 2019 ODI World Cup, South Africa had Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, JP Duminy, Chris Morris and David Miller to shore up the batting department. But they still couldn't cope with the absence of De Villiers, winning only three games out of nine.
Now, with even fewer trusted performers, the T20 World Cup looks like a mountain too tall to climb for the Proteas. The bowling attack - Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi and Tabraiz Shamsi - might be able to hold up, but the batting might be severely exposed against quality opposition.
Contrasting approaches of West Indies and South Africa down to a variety of factors
South Africa and West Indies have been forced to employ contrasting approaches for a variety of reasons, but the end goal of achieving success at global ICC tournaments remains the same. Youth and experience have proven to be opposite sides of the same coin, with the dream of lifting the trophy serving as a beacon of hope.
Quinton de Kock's dismal tenure as captain set the Proteas back a bit, but now, under the leadership of Dean Elgar and Temba Bavuma, South Africa are moving forward. Pollard's West Indies, meanwhile, are slightly further along on their journey back to the top of international cricket.
The upcoming T20I series between South Africa and West Indies will witness the two methods collide. The real litmus test will come in the form of the 2021 T20 World Cup, for which West Indies will begin as firm favorites thanks to the dependable stalwarts in their squad.
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