Woeful Windies crash out
Grenada - Every good party needs a welcoming host but not as accommodating as the West Indies have been to opponents in the Super 8 stage.
They put in another woeful performance against South Africa to end their slim hopes of reaching the semi-finals.
Even if all results go in their favour from now on, their run rate requires too radical an overhaul.
From the first game against Australia, to this debacle against the Proteas, the West Indies' batting has lacked substance and their bowlers the bite to trouble top-class batsmen.
The fielding has bordered on shocking at times and so it was here again: there were countless misfields, two run-out chances were squandered and Ian Bradshaw embarrassingly dropped a dolly of a catch.
It was scant reward for the lively crowd at the National Stadium, which was boosted by discounted ticket prices and made quite a din with the relaxing of regulations on musical instruments.
“Let’s spice it up in the spice island,” cried one fan in the Main Stand.
But all the hot stuff being created was by the men in green, who had an estimated 750 supporters cheering them on.
AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis, both of whom were limping, took the initiative with a succession of meaty blows.
Herschelle Gibbs and Mark Boucher were then fiery in the closing stages, damaging windows and bowling figures to virtually end the game as a contest.
Dwayne Bravo, blessed with a genuine ability to deliver telling yorkers and slower balls, looks devoid of confidence and even Daren Powell – who had easily been the Windies’ best bowler in this event – crumbled.
For a while, Chris Gayle and local boy Devon Smith had the Party Stand jumping with some lusty strikes. Ramnaresh Sarwan also struck some defiant blows in an aggressive 92.
Tail-end resistance made the result look more respectable than it was but there was no doubt this was a comprehensive triumph for the Proteas, who are back on course for a last-four spot following their shock loss to Bangladesh.
The Windies? They have matches against Bangladesh and England left, where all they have to play for is a bit of pride.
Very little of that has been on display in the Super 8 games and there will be demands for sweeping changes to revive a team that has slipped into the status of whipping boys for the game’s superpowers.
Brian Lara has cut an increasingly irritated figure and it did not come as a surprise that after the match he announced the World Cup would be the final one-day internationals he would play in.
But should he also quit as skipper?
The worry from a West Indian point of view is the dearth of obvious candidates to replace him or some of his under-performing players ahead of the England tour in a few weeks’ time.
The Windies seem to be in terminal decline and the process seems to have been progressive over the last ten years. I enjoyed the privilege of watching Conrad Hunte, Rohan kanhai, Seymour Nurse, Clive Lloyd and the incomparable Garfield Sobers when these greats of yesteryear illuminated grounds around the world. This current batch are unworthy of comparison. In a paraphrase of a memorable quote, they are "unworthy to unlatch their sandals"! I think the problem is entirely one of attitude. The present team seems to lack all pride and is no longer ashamed to lose. I cannot see Lara and co. beating any other team in the super eights (including Bangla Desh) and are deservedly doomed to exit the series ignominiously and unlamented. How utterly wretched!
Complain about this postDARREN GANGA SHOULD BE CAPTAIN .... LARA THE BEST BATTER BUT THE WORST CAPTAIN.
Complain about this postI think West Indies performance in batting, fielding and bowling was a disgrace! West Indies can only blameselves.!!!
Complain about this postI think West Indies performance in batting, fielding and bowling was a disgrace! West Indies can only blame themselbves.!!!
Complain about this postWindies still have chance
Complain about this postMinnows have to go alll out
I have often wondered if their is a bottom to a nadir - I am beginning to hope so, however naively, after today's debacle. One thing that always characterised the Windies, throughout thick and thin, was that the players seemed proud to be where they were. Yes, it is a disparate region full of rivalries and worse, but the eleven cricketers who used to take to the field united together in their enjoyment of competitive spirit and, most importantly, a good old tactical battle. Few of today's 'stars' seem to hold such sentiments. Few of today's XI return from a tour with enhanced reputations. The temerity of backs to walls is decidedly lacking. Lara's gifts as a batsman cannot hide the fact that he is a second rate captain, a man who is engulfed in the shadow of Worrell and Lloyd. Giving Lara the right to a whole story reveals a decided lack of talent - Chanderpaul's an enigma, Gayle a victim of cool, Bravo runs the risk of being another lost talent.
Something has got to change - but there won't be time to do it before the England tour. 1976 has long gone. Yet let us just hope that the team itself can be pulled back from the brink of oblivion. The West Indies has endured one of the most alarming, but somewhat self-inflicted, slides ever seen in sport.
Complain about this postIn my dismay, I appear to have made a disgraceful grammatical error in my first sentence... profuse apologies
Complain about this postDisappointemnt, is an understatement. Lara Keeps on promising improvement, however he has not lead in that manner. Empty promises, over and over again.
The guys must be told once and for all, that their present on the west indies team, is based on performance. If you do not perform, you are out period! these guys are doing a disservice to the caribbean people.
Complain about this postwell sarwan is the most stupid cricketer i ever came across,there was to be a certain hundred in the making and he gave it away.he already knew w.i could not have won the match.so play along and make a hundred simple
Complain about this posta terrible performance by a team that looked cowed and uninspired.
Lara's delaying of the final powerplay was almost comedy level in its ineptitude. A sad end to a sad tournament for the hosts .
However, the sad tournament continues for the rest of us.
Complain about this postThe Windes had no spirit out on the field. The fielding was done lazily, one could not see the extra exertion made by the players to catch the ball or at least stop it from reaching the boundary.
Complain about this postA number of crucial catches were not taken and Lara captaincy leaves much to desire. Wake up Windes .......gone are the days when you can get by simply on talent.
Well another woeful display, it is hard being a West Indian fan I tell you. Well what will happen now, is what always happens now there is nothing to play for, they will play hard probably win their last two games comfortably. They will just play to secure their places on the plane to England. We have had enough, this always happens, selectors please take note drop a few of these fake cricketers we have. Please do not be fooled when this comes in the next two games and finally play well just to get picked for the England tour. Please I implore you don't be fooled, drop some of them give the youngsters a chance, I beg you hard.
Complain about this postHigh time players of repute like Lloyd, Sobers, Richards, Greenidge, Garner etc. were called in and asked to form a committee responsible for getting WI cricket back on track. with a 3-5 year plan.
Nothing short of having players play not for money and star status but for team and "country" will ensure a return to the top.
And please stop blaming Lara.
What do you expect him to do?
Bat, bowl, field all by himself.
I agree it is obvious he is a poor captain and his decision to field today was shocking!
Other than that what can the poor guy do?
Complain about this postI still believe in these men who gave us so much in the 70s and 80's, the talent is there and will be on display once again. A sad day today but we have to keep hope alive! and our eyes on the Prize!
We shall return!
Complain about this postThe WI team is spineless. They train with no intensity and are not hungry for success. They go through the motions oblivious to the disappointment they are causing to the people of the Caribbean. Good riddance.
Complain about this postI'm really disappointed with the West Indies team performance. Time an again we as West Indians had to endure the lacklustre performance from these players. I only hope that someday West Indies cricket could bring back those glory days of 80's and 90's. I cannot beleive that this team allow South Africa to score 356 runs when Bangladesh bowl this same team out for 184 runs. I'm a Guyanese living in Missouri and I paid $200.00 box to watch the entire World cup but I'm really disappointed with my team performance. We need a fresh start!
Complain about this postJailall
I think the commentary following this match has been a little wrong-headed. All are apparently agreed that the Windies' performance today was unrelievedly awful. The disappointment of seeing them knocked out of the cup is perhaps preventing people from looking at their batting objectively.
Yes, the bowling and fielding were sub-par, but it's difficult to say that about the batting. They played out the full fifty overs, and scored 289! Is it usual to refer to a total of 289 as a "disgrace"? Give them credit for that, at least.
Complain about this postUntil the West Indies discover a group of 4-5 bowlers capable of disciplined and effective bowling and more than 1-2 batsmen with the ability to concentrate for long periods and prize their wickets in both forms of the game then the downward spiral will continue..I despair for them on the upcoming tour to England; they will no doubt lose and lose heavily which will do even further damage to the game in the Caribbean, and consign the likes of Lara, Chanderpaul et al to the history books as excellent batsmen who sadly played in an era when their team was probably as poor as anything ever seen from the region..Watching the current West Indies team is painful its like being trapped in a bad dream, with no escape even when you eventually wake up! Please someone, tell me when or how things will get better..?
Complain about this postFazeer Mohammed's recent article previewed WI's display against S.Africa.So as a die-hard WI fan, I'm not surprised at the 67 run licking.
Complain about this postIt's time for the selectors to invest in the youth who seem to have 'unswollen' heads on their shoulders. Tonito Willet (Nevis), Dave Mohammed and Kieron Pollard need to be on the plane to England this summer, AND BE GIVEN CHANCES TO PLAY AND DEVELOP.
Marlon Samuels and Dwayne Smith, among others,have been given enough chances, now it's only fair for others to get a break too. Don't tell me that a spinner has no role. Every regional team has a valuable spinner eg Rawl Lewis(Windwards), Mohammed(TnT), Hinds (B'dos). Moreover, Vettori(New Zealand), Murali (Sri Lanka) and Singh(England) have proven that fast bowling is not everthing.The WI can't continue to depend on Gayle, Samuels and Sarwan to take wickets or slow down pinch-hitters, when they hardly ever bowl for their regional teams.
Lastly, give the captaincy to Ganga. Why? #1)Regionally, he is tactically the best captain. TnT's triumph in this year's competitions with a generally inexperienced side and only test experienced Dillon, Ganga, Mohammed, Lara (limited) and Bravo(limited) epitomise how a captain can work with his team to gain results. #2) It's time to invest in the future and leaving Lara as captain this summer is counter productive. However, he should remain as a player if he wants to do so.Yes, we may be whipped by England, especially with so few warm-up matches on tour, but it's all a part of learning.#3) The Ganga/Gayle opening pair has been the most effective of late.#4) Yes, iknow Sarwan has been vice-captain, but has he shown the back-bone, ambition and tactical capabilities to be intrusted as captain? Remember when Clive LLyd was made captain? It was a toss-up between Holford, Foster and LLoyd. Not many fans thought then that Lloyd will ever be able to be compared with the revered Worrell, but he DID IT! Sometimes diamonds are found where they are least expected!
Once, again as an eternal WI optimist, I still believe the talent is there, it just has to be harnessed correctly. We can't hit out when our regional pride is lying with its back on the canvass. Instead, let's make constructive criticism to improve our fortunes.
Looking forward to a summer that will dumb the arm-chair pundits and the "doubting-Thomases".
Complain about this postThis merely confirm what we all know. That cricket is dying a slow death in the carribbean.
the biggest mistake was to win the toss and then electing to bowl. TWICE- against SRI LANKA and now against S Africa. West Indies seem to thinking the game wrong....as history suggests....teams who bat well, win the matches more. The best way to do that is to bat first. Simple. West Indies got the Simplest thing wrong and blame goes to LARA as a captain.
Complain about this postWest Indies as an entity is finished, the old colonial islands are now independent countries and should enter future world cups as such. National pride in either Guyana, Jamaica, Barbados or Trinidad would make them alot more competitive and any one of these in their own right would beat countries such as Bermuda, Scotland or Canada for instance, and who knows on a given day defeat some of the big guys.
Complain about this postFirst let me start by being the optomist.. okay I realise that I am scrubbing the bottom of the pan, but fact is West Indies Still have a chance if they win out and South Africa lose out and England lose to Bangladesh and West Indies.
It will then come down to run rate between B/Desh and West Indies or among WI, B/desh and England.
Secondly, how can we lay blame on a team that is just not in the top tier. We should blame ourselves for too high expectations. Since the Stanford 20/20 some of us have been calling for the WICB to use the local competitions including the Stanford 20/20 to select the WI team. I would personally like to see Ganga (can't believe I say this, but he proven to be a good leader), Nagamootoo, Narsingh Deonarine, Travis Dowlin, E. Crandon, D. Mohammed, Rampaul, and a host of other youngsters get a chance. Sorry my friends, but as long as Singulara is on this (Test and ODI) team, there will be problems.
As for the comment that Sarwan stupidly gave away his wicket and could have scored a century. Yes, that's what Lara would have done and that's why he's called singulara. Sarwan took one for the team. He had to go for it even though the chances of WI winning was slim to none and slim was out of town. Remember when Lara declared (against B/desh) with Sarwan on 280. Selfish player that Lara is.
Now, having gotten that off my chest, let me say again that I am an eternal optomist. WI will get better as soon as Lara goes and we bring in new energy into the team - Players who want to play for the love of the game and have a bounce in their feet. We can learn a thing or two about the spirit and fun of the game from those Bangladeshis and Irish.
Breado
Complain about this postI think West Indies is not a bad team. They do lack an inspirational leader. The WI have fallen into the same trap as India. The two never tire of singing paeans to their lonely one-off stars, Lara and Sachin. Both have produced individual cameos of incomparable quality but have too rarely risen to the needs of the team. Good teams often consist of ordinary talent rising to the needs of the occasion. Just see how often Ponting's performance pulls out his team from a hole. Ordinary humans performing like collosses. A B de Villiers and co are the recent most example. Like a chain, a team is often as good as its weekest link. West Indies needs not a great exponent of the game but one of leadership, crunch leadership; a Clive Lloyd. They could be an extraordinary side to lead. This is a side capable of rising outa this chasm of shame with very little but significant change, just one at the helm.
Complain about this postI suppose the West Indies performances prior to the super eight gave us some hope that the team would do well enough to make it to the semi finals, but After today's dismal performance. I can only resigned myself to believe all hope is gone. Frankly, we got killed in India in the 4-warmup matches we played and even then our competitiveness there was a red flag that the team wasn't gonna do well. We have performed below par for the last decade. I think the mentality of the team is left wanting with the exception of probably 2-individuals.
Complain about this postLike other failures in life, we find reasons to justify the means, in real life it's time to stop making excuses and deliver excellence!
Long live South Africa!
Complain about this postGroup stages, must-win-or-board-the-next-flight scenario - Rahul Dravid wins the toss and decides to put the Sri Lankans in hoping to chase down a set total. Big mistake in a tight situation (unless the opposition has crack pacies in the lineup) because under pressure it is known that it is the batting that is the most vulnerable. Well yesterday Brian Lara was at the same crossroads and he did win the toss and he chose to send South Africa in first - same disaster. But why?
The South African attack has been quite pedestrian half the time with only Andre Nel looking penetrative and he too was only brought in two matches ago. The pitch was not a green top and besides the most potent bowler, by reputation, Makhaya Nitini, has been misfiring throughout the World Cup. Also the line and length run miser Shaun Pollock has been hit prone recently.
Well its not a real surprise, I mean Brian Lara's captaincy, their attitude and the selections. What was Lara thinking of when he delayed the power plays until the end. And what about the attitude they brought on to the field with all those poor efforts at runouts. As for team selections what a time to debut an unheralded player. Poor Pollard was never in it. But then a few matches ago against NZ they did opt to go in with eight batsmen and just three bowlers. The line"curiouser and curiouser" comes to mind.
Yet the final results may have been closer had the South African total been approached with a mix of controlled aggression. No real chance once Chanderpaul, Gayle and Lara fell without really making good contributions. Sadly Chanderpaul chose to blast away from the start, something that is uncharacteristic to him as he normally needs about 15-20 balls before he can launch away. As for Gayle it is the Windies misfortune that his form dipped at the worst possible time - the World Cup at home. And Lara was unlucky to have a inside edge hitting the stumps. But really it would have been too much to expect this motley crew to make it to the semis.
And talking of the semis isn't it only appropriate that is the teams with the best captains, with the best openers and perhaps most importantly with the best fielding units that are going to progress.
Complain about this postIt will be interesting to see how New Zealand fare from here onwards 'cause they have not yet come up against a good team yet. Now they come three in row - Sri Lanka, South Africa and the Aussies. My prediction - they are going to be found lacking.
Lara completely uninspirational. I would have loved to see the Lara of WI-Aus test series of 99. It's sad to see WI cricket in shambles.
Complain about this postIt would have been good to have the hosts in the semis but this is now very unlikely moreso given the fact the West Indies can't seem capable of winning a match at the moment.
Complain about this postHow long will we, proud West Indians, continue to support this team's approach to professionalism. Yes, teams do fail; but this team did not just fail, it has been a continuous failure.
We must remember, those who have experienced better, that the current crop of players cannot be compared to legendaries, who played for pride of the West Indies, and not money.
Do they expect to collect a paycheque for this kind of performance? Let's be serious. If these players were to be given this appropriate ultimatum-You will be offered a PAYP package-Paid as you perform', we would get results.
These players are local talents. They have not elevated their skills for international performance. Our local or regional competition can be hyped, but, do we really see this level of competition flat. When we demolish each other's team at the local level, we think we have effectively performed. Our players are not a class act, so we might as well go back to the drawing board; community cricket through to the national level, must be revived, if we will see the interest of WI cricket bqack to a high level.
There is one thing about being proud; however when pride restricts us from correcting our indidvidual or collective flaws, as a team member or as a collective unit, the results will always be the same---Colossal Failure.
Time to pull stumps and get real; this team is in need of a complete rebuilding; from captain to the 12th man.. No more crying in our drink.
Complain about this postThe Windies seem to be in terminal decline and the process seems to have been progressive over the last ten years. I enjoyed the privilege of watching Conrad Hunte, Rohan kanhai, Seymour Nurse, Clive Lloyd and the incomparable Garfield Sobers when these greats of yesteryear illuminated grounds around the world. This current batch are unworthy of comparison. In a paraphrase of a memorable quote, they are "unworthy to unlatch their sandals"! I think the problem is entirely one of attitude. The present team seems to lack all pride and is no longer ashamed to lose. I cannot see Lara and co. beating any other team in the super eights (including Bangla Desh) and are deservedly doomed to exit the series ignominiously and unlamented. How utterly wretched!
Complain about this postIt's incredible seeing so much criticism of Lara the player and the person. I'll agree with those that say his captaincy lacks nous and that he's tactically lacking compared to someone like Ponting or Vaughan but the notion that Lara is selfish is absurd. I personally feel that many people's expectations due to past historical success are not met and therefore Lara gets the blame.
The problem with the West Indies is a lack of professionalism from board to basic first-class structure. No nation with difficulties in the board/at the top administrative level do well in cricket. Include Pakistan, India and the ultimate example, Zimbabwe, in that as we all know what the ZCU have done for cricket in their country. The Windies have had dispute after dispute for years and it's clear that unity isn't prevalent. That side of things needs to be cleared up, no more contract disputes or sponsorship squabbles.
I think Tony Cozier made the point yesterday on the television that the West Indies had no bowling coach, fielding coach or fitness co-ordinator. If this is true then that's an indicator that the West Indies team structurally are not up to standard. I admire Bennett King for what he has done for West Indies cricket as I feel his task is harder than even that undertaken by the late Bob Woolmer with Pakistan. The Pakistani fans may be more volatile than the West Indian fans but the devotion and expectation of the Windies fans based on their history is just as strong. Bringing together so many islands and cultures is diffuclt and trying to make a decent international team from so many different elements is a huge undertaking. For that, King has actually not done a bad job. He's up against overwhelming odds really.
The West Indian sides of the 1970s and 1980s got by on natural talent and fitness. The rest of the world couldn't match them. The dawn of the professional era saw the other sides overtake the West Indians. India, Pakistan and the Windies all haven't embraced the professional era to the level of South Africa, Australia and England. The last 10 years have seen a sea change in the game. Fitness drills, psychological methods, advancements of coaching, nutritional requirements, practice methods, visualisation, all of these and more have come into cricket and the sides that have embraced them the best are the sides up there challening for honours at the World Cup and in Test match cricket. The sides that still rely on past history and who possess an air of 'This is how we were good in the past, why change our methods if they worked before?' are the ones who have looked poor in this World Cup. Goodbye India, goodbye Pakistan and goodbye the West Indies. Modernise or face defeat. Natural talent alone is not enough, you have to fuse natural talent with psychological and physiological strength and application.
Complain about this postI must say that it is very unfortunate that that we the West Indies did not make it to the semifinals as of now, only a miracle could let us through. But it is so belittling to allow teams to come into our backyard and beat us, it is utterly indescribable( it never should have happened).
Complain about this postMy first is concerning the 3rd power play, why would you take the said power play so late when the other team is already dominating the run rate prior to it being taken( 70 odd runs in 5 overs),
Second, I sure it was embarrassing for the fans in the stadium and on TV to see an injured batsman( with cramps, pulled hamstring, etc ) being allowed to hit four and sixes , even before he reached his century. And for our West Indies team to allow this to happen, this never would have happened ever, even in school cricket.
Finally, what little I know of West Indies cricket, in the past is that whenever we found weakness we would exploit it to the max.
Whoever reads this and have any comments, please feel free to express them.
Thanks for reading.
WI cricket have been in decline for the past 10 - 15 years and WICB are unable to do anything about it. The main reason Kerry Packer and English County Cricket made the WI of the 1980s great not the WICB. WI domestic cricket is in decline as well. So whether WI fans want to admit it or not they are watching the slow death of cricket in the WI. Bangalesh in a couple of years will takeover WI in the crickets rankings. Children in the WI will longer play a game associated with losers. All the great WI players will be come histriocal relics of a bygone age.
Complain about this postI think the West Indies did well! For a minnow side at the same level as Bangladesh and Zimbabwe they excelled in reaching the super 8's. People should stop being so critical. They have a strong core that will trouble some of the other cricket nations like Holland and Ireland. I for one would love to see Ireland tour the Windies - should be very tight!
Complain about this postWindies fans,
If it's any consolation, my nephew and I have been running a Dice Cricket World Cup. Windies got to the final but lost to Bermuda. Bermuda chased down 326 despite loosing Hemp early on.
Furthermore, Windies had nearly all of their lbw's turned down.
En route to the final Windies thrashed RSA and Australia.
Complain about this posti like the west indies but they are very ill-disaplined. Like England. I think that both teams id they tried harder and bucked up would we able to be a forbidible team.
Complain about this postLara is long past his best form, i have only seen lara peform once the series has been lost this is both in ODI nd TEST cricket, if you have a look at all his big scores over the past 5 years all have come when he is playing without any pressure. So lara should step down from being captain and just play in the test team if he wants to play till he is past 40 then he better start performimg. Its a shame west indies will be knocked out of the cup was great atmosphere at greneada.
Complain about this postWest Indies as a cricket team should be disbanded and the islands should play as individual nations. This is the future for cricket in this region. As for Lara, his batting prowess of old had created alot of arrogance in the man, but years of overall humiliating defeat has kept his arrogance in check. Yes, there has been the odd victory in cup matches, but the overall West Indies cricket picture had been one of defeat after defeat. South Africa over the past few years has literally demolished the West Indies in both formats of the game home and away. It would have been an injustice had they lost this one. In previous World cups they were an achilles heel for South Africa. The weak ghost has been exorcised and demolished. As for Lara, he should be laid out to pasture and it is fitting that South Africa be the team to finally knock out his pride and supposed prowess. What a poor captain.
Complain about this postI reckon the series against England will be an opportunity for the Windies to regroup. It may not be a turning point, but I think they will probably do better than everyone thinks; mostly down to the ineptitude in England's batting/bowling/fielding (delete as appropriate).
I can't see it being a whitewash for England, although on form, it probably should be.
Complain about this postWest Indies cricket is finished. Lara will probably continue as skipper of the test side in England this summer. However, they would be better served by Sarwan who could attempt to revive West Indian cricket. As for the splendid grounds built for the World Cup; these will no doubt rot away in due course due to neglact and non use. The ICC should never have staged the WC there but they will never learn.A complete shambles all round.
Complain about this postDishearted and disappointed at my team's poor performance has left a question mark to my passion for the game. Poor bowling, batting and fielding added to the W.I team's expected defeat.They need a make over and they need it fast.The players need to remember that they are playing for the pride of their countries not just the 'fat' salaries they earn for poor performance.
Complain about this postLet's be honest, the Windes don't have a good enought team at the moment to be challenging the best teams in the world. look at their position in the rankings, even behind England. i'm not suprised at all that they haven't won a match in the super 8's and wont be suprised when they lose to Bangladesh!
Complain about this postI'm not West Indian, but during the late 70s/early 80s I grew up watching the likes of Clive Lloyd, Gordon Greenidge, Malcolm Marshall and Joel Garner. Whilst it's difficult to compare players from different eras, it's plain to see how far West Indian cricket has fallen, both in Tests and ODIs, and that's a great pity.
Whilst I feel that South Africa had a point to prove after the defeat by Bangladesh, the capitulation by the West Indies in last night's game was one that even England would be hard-put to match especially given that the Windies were ahead up until about the 25th over.
Seems to me that the Windies have the same problem as England - lack of discipline, clueless management and 11 men playing for themselves rather than the team. Should Brian Lara quit as skipper? Certainly - he's failed on three occasions, which is two more than most people get.
Complain about this postOnce, long ago, chasing autographs, I walked out onto the field of play with a West Indies team. It was at Essex's Southend ground, where it was possible to do so (and for all I know, still is). I can hardly believe now that I walked alongside Clyde Walcott, Alan Rae, Alf Valentine - and the greatest of them all, certainly on that day, Everton Weekes. What was evident, even to a small boy, was the spirit of the team, the chatting, the joking, the good-natured "bullying" of Clyde Walcott for the others to "sign the books, man!" Thus, I agree wholeheartedly with Chris Escritt's post, that in those days eleven men took to the field united. What's happening now? I don't know, but the West Indies under Lara have never been a happy team. It's the more depressing because the West Indies always brought class and an irrepressible elan to cricket, maybe more than any other national team.
To end with an anecdote, how wonderfully typical it was one day to hear a broadcast by Everton Weekes, in which he "confessed" to having hit a six once in his career. He seemed almost ashamed to admit he had ever lifted the ball above carpet level. The wristiest, most compact batsman I ever saw. What an honour it would be to have him at one's dinner table.
Complain about this postLara's comments about the powerplays are interesting. He thinks pp2 was the one that did the damage, because 50 runs were scored. If this is evidence of his astutenesss as a captain then no wonder they are in the trouble they are in.
Complain about this postPhil with all due respect you are talking rubbish about west indies cricket being finished and that the world cup should never have been held there.. Firstly without knowing who you are that comment seems to reek of a typical elitist attitude that still infects to this day. Secondly we have had shocking tournament by anyones standards - the fielding and bowling have been nothing short of a disgrace and the batting apart from yesterday which was ok has been sub par.
The problems are many Lara as captain no doubt, ability, management, selection but my main gripe is attitude of the team which Chris gayle is the poster boy. But are the windies finished ? No of course not; what it needs is a overall of the game in the islands and also maybe they should start considering players who play maybe in england of west indian desent..also a proper academy needs to be established and funded, end the inter island rivarlly... if the team requires 11 jamaicans or trinnies or bajans, than so be it.. i dont care where they are from as long as they represent. Be proud of the previliage of playing for the windies..we are proud people ALL of us, this is why it hurts so much.. we feel the team has shamed us. Finally to the comment of it should not have been held in the carribean.. ok the crowds have been low, but if you have been paying attention Phil than maybe you would have understood about high ticket prices, over zealous security, in ground prices, killing the way cricket is watched in the carribean which is a lot different to england, australia, etc might i add. If you want to blame anyone for that than direct your views to the ICC as they are to blame for this. I admitt this tournament will not go down as a great one for sure, but if you look back on other world cups, tell me one tournament when every ground has been a sell out? There is a lot of problems with west indian cricket right now - no fan is hiding that fact - what we want to see is a fundemental change in the system, so this once great team can rise again... its a hard tough job with hard tough decisions (Lara maybe ending his international career, as perhaps he is too big an influence on the team) ganga or Sarwan taking the captaincy on.. Hmm im glad im not making those decisions!!
Complain about this postI should say that Andy Plowrights comments about west indies not embracing the modern professional era is totally spot on... great post and should be sent to WICB
Complain about this post"I think the West Indies did well! For a minnow side at the same level as Bangladesh and Zimbabwe they excelled in reaching the super 8's. People should stop being so critical. They have a strong core that will trouble some of the other cricket nations like Holland and Ireland. I for one would love to see Ireland tour the Windies - should be very tight!"
Don't worry MR John they're touring England as they were too scared of Ireland!!
Complain about this postWest Indies cricket have not improved over the last five years. The players approach to the game is not correct , it is lacking vigour, talent and innovative efforts. These players do not use their brain effectively. They need better coaching and a scientific approach to the game.
Complain about this postIt will be a long time before I ever go to a match that is played by West Indies. This performance was shambolic, spineless, a disgrace and total betray to all the West Indies fan....SHAME SHAME SHAME.
Complain about this postIt will be a long time before I ever go to a match that is played by West Indies. This performance was shambolic, spineless, a disgrace and total betray to all the West Indies fans....SHAME SHAME SHAME.
Complain about this postThe West Indies have such a rich cricket tradition. Its a shame to see how far they have fallen from their perch recently. They seem to have the young talent but not the application to produce the goods when the going gets tough! Lara cannot carry the fight on his own and regulars such as Chanderpaul, Gayle and Sarwan fail to provide adequate back up. Daren Ganga is the obvious choice for me in terms of a captain however for some reason he always gets overlooked in the One Day games and more recently in the Test Matches. We need more players who can compile a steady innings in difficult circumstances.
Complain about this postIm going to the games against England this summer so hopefully something will change. I look forward to walking away from the grounds with some enthusiasm in terms of the teams endeavour and application even if we taste defeat.
West Indies dug their own grave.
Complain about this postWe in the Caribbean seem to think that winning at cricket is a birthright. Losing does not go down easy with us. But we tend to forget the days when West Indian teams ploughed the row and completely dominated the ret of the world. Felt good, didn't it?
Well guess what? The rest of the world read the book and figured out the plot. So the WI pose no threat to anyone, until they innovate some aspect of their game...like the four-fast-bowler teams of the recent past.
And while we're casting about for people to hang, let's not forget the people who control cricket in the West Indies...ie, the selectors and WICB. Collectively and to a man, they have consistently shown utter cluelessness, callousness and spinelessness in dealing with the affairs of WI cricket.
I can think of no more parasitic, unimaginitive, dim-witted people in any sphere of endeavour. Yes, the game is rotten from the core outwards. These young players are merely a manifestation of that decay.
Complain about this postWI cricket sucks!
Complain about this postFire everybody from the board to players. Bring in fresh people with heart and soul for the game. We need to see joy for the game reflected in the players once more.
the performance in this tournament has been woefully inadequate and leaves a sour aftertaste. Even, Bangladesh were able to raise their game for this tounament, albeit they were many miles from home with a fraction of the support that WI had. the WI cricket board ought to carry out an investigation with former cricketers of repute at the helm to ascertain what went wromg and more importantly what does the future hold. I did'nt in all honest expect WI to win the tournament, but I expected 100% effort /determination. May be the showing in this tournament was the players' 100% effort. If so, it may be that the players are just not good enough to compete on the international stage.
David
Complain about this postPS. apologies for any typos.
At the end of the day the Windies team is simply not good enough.The worrying aspect is that there is nothing coming through the system.Turn the clock back a few years and nearly all the Windies team were playing county cricket.Now there are none which is a sure sign that things are in a sorry state.This World Cup was meant to act as a springboard to regenerate cricket in the islands but hardly anyone is turning up to watch.This maybe down to the high prices but it is hard to see anything other than a further decline over the next 5 to 10 years when they will be in the same category as Bangladesh.
Complain about this postoh!!! once again its proved that non of the nation won the world cup as they are conducting at home place. sorry west indies!!!!!!!!! better luck next time.
Complain about this postTHE WEST INDIES PLAYERS SHOULD BE PAID ACCORDING TO THEIR PERFORMANCE-THEN WE WILL SEE AN IMPROVEMENT IN PERFORMANCE.
Complain about this postAs a West Indian I have been watching the fall of the West Indian team over a period of time. Taking a good player and making him captain is not the answer. A captain has to have leadership qualities which is not evident in Brian Lara. what the West Indies need is a strong captian.
Complain about this postPersonal likeness do not win games, team play does.
Trying to keep a superstar at the cost of a team is not the way to go.
Having promising players in a team at the expense of other players needs to be stopped we need consistant players
From what I have witnesss in this Cricket World Cup in the West Indies. This West Indies team
Complain about this posthas no intelligence in how to overcome other teams. The excuses was this a young team and still learning but five years on these excuses does not wash any more. To me this West Indian team has brought shame on the great names that has gone before it. What sort of cricket structure is there in the West Indies. Professional or Amateurish? Maybe they will prove me wrong this summer when they play England but I won't be holding my breath.
WI have many problems...Lara is not one of them.
Complain about this postGayle is not an opening bat
Sarwan cannot bat at #3
Devon Smith is not a Test batsman
Neither of 2 form players prior to the World Cup were included in the 15..
Ravi Rampaul an Darren Ganga
Bennet King is a failure as a coach and none of our liberal Caribbean writers are calling for his head
ICC screwed WICB into agreeing to preposterous conditions for staging the event in the Caribbean.
WICB or whoever negotiated for WI did not have the balls to stand up to ICC and negotiate with any semblance of leverage/
WI fans and players think the currrent players have talent. I do not think so, They can't bat and can't bowl at an international level.
The West Indies went into the World Cup in reasonable form, and hoped to suceed with such a strong, powerful and aggresive batting line-up, especially in their own country, and hoped to do what had never been done before, to win a Cricket World Cup in their own back-yard. After the Group Stages of the World Cup, they must have thought they were on track for at least a semi-final spot, but due to lack of confidence, inconsistency, poor team selection, and in my oppinion bad captaincy from the great Brian Charles Lara, they have crashed out of this World Cup, and have shown us all how inconsistent they really are.
Brian Lara is one of the greatest batsman of all time, but is he the right captain to lead the West Indies Cricket Team to sucess? In my oppinion, no. This is because he should concentrate on his phenomenal batting talent, and should forget about captaining the struggling West Indian Cricket team. The West Indies should give someone much younger a chance at captaining the team, or they should hand captaincy over to the current vice-captain, Ramnaresh Sarwan. Brian Lara has made some decisions that have really put his team at a disadvantage in the match, such as to take the third and finial powerplay in the 44th over against one of the most aggresive batting teams in the world, who also had seven wickets in hand at that point. The South Africans took 77 runs off those five overs, which in the end probably lost his team the game.
This is why Brian Lara should call not only his outstanding ODI carrer to an end, but his extraordinary Test career to an end as well, so he can quit the game at his very best, and give someone younger a chance to captain the side. He has wisely called his ODI career to a close, but it is time that he ends his carrer in both forms of the game. The West Indies will miss him greatly, but after this performance in the Cricket World Cup, he really should call it quits now.
Complain about this postThe West Indies went into the World Cup in reasonable form, and hoped to suceed with such a strong, powerful and aggresive batting line-up, especially in their own country, and hoped to do what had never been done before, to win a Cricket World Cup in their own back-yard. After the Group Stages of the World Cup, they must have thought they were on track for at least a semi-final spot, but due to lack of confidence, inconsistency, poor team selection, and in my oppinion bad captaincy from the great Brian Charles Lara, they have crashed out of this World Cup, and have shown us all how inconsistent they really are.
Brian Lara is one of the greatest batsman of all time, but is he the right captain to lead the West Indies Cricket Team to sucess? In my oppinion, no. This is because he should concentrate on his phenomenal batting talent, and should forget about captaining the struggling West Indian Cricket team. The West Indies should give someone much younger a chance at captaining the team, or they should hand captaincy over to the current vice-captain, Ramnaresh Sarwan. Brian Lara has made some decisions that have really put his team at a disadvantage in the match, such as to take the third and finial powerplay in the 44th over against one of the most aggresive batting teams in the world, who also had seven wickets in hand at that point. The South Africans took 77 runs off those five overs, which in the end probably lost his team the game.
This is why Brian Lara should call not only his outstanding ODI carrer to an end, but his extraordinary Test career to an end as well, so he can quit the game at his very best, and give someone younger a chance to captain the side. He has wisely called his ODI career to a close, but it is time that he ends his carrer in both forms of the game. The West Indies will miss him greatly, but after this performance in the Cricket World Cup, he really should call it quits now.
Complain about this postDoh worry man, all yuh go see licks in England dis summer. England go be sharpenin up dey teet for dese whippin boys from de islands, and go get a surprise. Lara have some unfinished business over dere eh. All yuh watch and see. World Cup is ICC rubbish. Sooner it is forgotten the better. Any West Indians out there take up the gauntlet - you want to see better cricket, START PLAYING. Make you children play, make dey friends play, instill the belief that one day the phoenix will rise. Everybody have a part to play.
Complain about this postIn response to Andy Plowright's comment , i couldn't say it any better . You were bang on ! AJ i join you in suggesting that his post should be a must read for the WICB and for all west indians for that matter ! I'm somewhat shocked that no one else has picked up on or commented on the lack of a scientific approach . No longer can the west indies go on natural talent and abilities other nations have caught up and exceeded leaving the west indies in the ashes. All west indians have left is a brief nostalgia of the glory days , thats all , but sadly and evidently it is not enough to inspire modern day aspirants ! Sadly even the cricket legends haven't realized this , they are too busy bickering amongst each other with varying opinions of what should or shouldn't be and in the meantime west indian cricket is moving closer to the precipice. West Indians get over it ! The gods are not shining down only on you anymore . Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance . Talent alone is no longer enough ! Oh the arrogance , no batting coach, no fielding coach no fitness co-ordinator arrgh ! A pissed west indian !
Complain about this postIn reply to Alan Thompson's post (#59). Bangla Desh are already as good as the Windies. Present form clearly suggests this to be the case. We will not have to wait "10 to 15 years" for it to become apparent. Otherwise I have read a number of useful suggestions in this thread that seem worthy of consideration by the powers that be. Most importantly is the need for the proper degree of professionalism in the way the game is organised and run in the Caribbean. Latent talent and "native" athleticism are no longer suficient to compete on the world stage. Unless the nettle of change is grasped then I am afraid a once proud cricket nation will slide into oblivion as one more "failed third world nation".
Complain about this postYou can blame Lara, King and anybody else you want. The main thing is that all the persons linked with WI cricket are hoping one day 11 players will suddenly turn up off the beach and will make WI cricket great once again. Sorry but you have to produce them through a system of academies, making your domestic cricket competitive from the cricket clubs on all the islands and then your inter island competitions. If possible see if you can get some of your best youngsters to go and play club cricket in South Africa, Australia even England if possible to toughen them up. But if the same weak village cricket which is play in the inter island competitions continues then. You might as well start playing the funeral match for West Indies cricket.
Complain about this postOnce again Brian Lara has been spared the just criticism of the cricketing media. It is inconceivable to me that after such a prolonged period of batting failures no one talks about his departure. After such a dismal failure in the Super 8's stage of the World Cup, he now announces his retirement from One Day cricket.
I would like to suggest that Brian Charles Lara retires from the game of cricket, (in all its forms), entirely, effective immediately.
Complain about this postOnce again Brian Lara has been spared the just criticism of the cricketing media. It is inconceivable to me that after such a prolonged period of batting failures no one talks about his departure. After such a dismal performance in the Super 8's stage of the World Cup, he now announces his retirement from One Day cricket.
I would like to suggest that Brian Charles Lara retires from the game of cricket, (in all its forms), entirely, effective immediately.
Ken Gordon's biggest mistake since becoming President of the highly incompetent West Indies Cricket Board was to appoint Brian Lara captain of the West Indies team. After all he had two opportunities at the captaincy before at which he failed miserably, that should have been reason enough to indicate that he was not leadership material. His third stint has been much worst than his previous two which was obvious to anyone with half a brain.
The WICB is so grossly incompetent it fails to call the highly overpaid, all Australian coaching staff to account for the accelerated downward spiral of the team. In any sport, in any other country, such an ineffective coaching staff would have been summarily dismissed long before such continuous dismal failures and there seems to be no demand for accountability from the WICB. There are numerous suggestions that the players should be paid on performance. That should be more so for the coaching staff whose job it is to enhance the performance of the players.
Like India and Pakistan, West Indies cricket is desperately in need of a complete overhaul in order to produce the best team from the young talents that are available in all of the Islands with no particular preference given to certain individuals because of Island size.
If West Indies are to tour England this coming summer with this completely demoralized team we can look forward to another whitewash which has apparently become totally acceptable to the WICB although I rather think the fans will have something to say about it, because after all,"enough is enough"
Complain about this postCould there be some kind of match fixing involved, the 3rd power play taken at the 44th over, who knows, food for thought.
Complain about this postWell it's part of game, windies they have pretty good team, but the second bowling decision from lara shakes me and with it they lose this worldcup campaign.. but they will be back and the sport will regain it's pace again....
Complain about this postManager of W.I team should be fired, for poor planning for World cup.
the team was clueless and had no idea what international cricket requires.
WI Board needs to also upgrade domestic cricket... to ensure cricket is plaiyed at an international level.
local caribbean cricket is a joke...a joke.
it reminds me of school boy cricket, the errors the mis fielding the poor bowling.
yeap..that describes WI cricket
Complain about this postthe W.I has to be joking, his latest comments state, he wants persons to support the team.
And they have taken some good points from the tournament...that they need to improve on a structure.
well well...what was the qualifications to be the coach of the W.I team...a blind man can see that the WI team needs a better structure. Tell
us how you are going to do it.
Better yet...tell us when you are leaving. You had your chance and you have shown the WI public you are clueless.
As per your statements you have a skillfull team...well if they are so skillfull and you can't get them to perform and get results...you need to go.
As you have failed....
Complain about this postI begin by saying that I have no proposal as to who should be the opening batsmen for the West Indies. I do however believe that Gail has been rumbled as a Test opening batsman and should now bat at 4 or 5.
Complain about this post