The West Indies face relegation under proposed ICC system

This, after the ICC indicated that it may create a two tier system which it says would increase the competitiveness of test cricket.

This would see the top seven nations cut off from the bottom three with a system of promotion and relegation between the two groups.

Under the current rankings, the West Indies would be in the bottom division alongside Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.

WICB president Julian Hunte said the board will not allow the ICC to relegate their team to a second division.

	West Indies Cricket Board president Julian Hunte

Mr Hunte said in a statement that said in most of the cricket playing countries of the world, the West Indies was the team that cricket fans like most after their national team.

Jamaican Sports Broadcaster Simon Croskill agrees.

He told BBC Caribbean that the international appeal of the West Indies team should ensure it remains playing against the better performing teams like Australia, New Zealand and India.

“Based on their pulling power still, as a test-playing nation, there’s a great aura around West Indies teams. They are still an attraction because of the way they play their cricket.

“I still think the West Indies are a force enough because their drawing ability is still a factor when playing against the top ranked teams,” he said.

Listen to what some 'Windies' fans have been saying to BBC Caribbean about the possible relegation.

The ‘Windies’ have declined dramatically since the likes of Gary Sobers, Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, Michael Holding, Malcolm Marshall and Curtly Ambrose helped make them Test cricket's leading team from the 1970's to the start of the 1990's.

They are still an attraction because of the way they play their cricket.   Simon Crosskill, cricket commentator

Former West Indies wicket keeper Jeffrey Dujon told BBC Caribbean that the decline of some teams including the West Indies, has led to the ICC's decision.

“I’m not surprised that the West Indies will be relegated.”

But BBC Caribbean reporter and sports commentator in Antigua, Colin James thinks the ICC has not been consistent enough with its policy on the development of cricket.

I’m not surprised that the West Indies will be relegated   Jeff Dujon, former West Indies player

He doesn't think that introducing a two tier system is the answer to improving the game.

“I think the ICC can do a lot more that they have been doing for the countries in the Caribbean that spent a lot of money to put infrastructure in place for Cricket World Cup 2007 and got very little from it.”

The WCIB had said it would discuss the matter with ICC officials.

West Indies Cricket is fried. No way for us but down the tubes. Live the reality.
Joe
Toronto, Canada

Based on performance the West Indies deserves relegation to below Bangladesh & Zimbabwe
rkalip
Rio Claro, Trinidad & Tobago

This move by the ICC should not come as a surprise. Some of us envisioned this type of move coming into play. Now it’s up to the selectors to counter attack and send their best players forward. Forget about which is land you’re from. Put the best eleven to the test.
Barrymore Watkins
Baltimore, Maryland, USA

The West Indies team need to be regulated long time ago. They are a disgrace to the former West Indian Cricket greats.
Gooding Mavis
Bridgetown, Barbados

The current lot of players, with the exception of a few, are not deserving of a place in international cricket. It is unfortunate the chairman of the board is fighting to keep the team in the mainstream of test cricket, but over the years the WICB has failed to do much for the development of the game in the region. If relegation is what will signal the start of an improvement then let it be so. From the board stand point they should consider paying these cricketers based on performance.
Loxley

We as West Indians should take a broad view of this attempt by the ICC as an attempt to further 'relegate' us to pre-colonial and colonial eras. I am disappointed that so many of us are so myopic to even agree with the ICC. How come this was never attempted back in the days when Windies were on top and the likes of England, New Zealand and even South Africa were doing worse than the Windies are doing at the moment? If you want to have a system of promotion and relegation, then it must be implemented systematically and after a period of time (maybe three years), so that every test playing nation can all start at the beginning. Come on people, do not let our emotions and disappointment with the performance of recent Windies teams get the better of us!!!
Fitz Bramble
Paramaribo, Suriname

Message to Murtland Fraser
Please explain: The ICC for years now is doing all it can to ruin West Indies dominance.
Surendra Singh
Virginia, USA

The hypocrisy of the ICC is hard to stomach. When the Windies were steamrolling every other nation did the ICC in their wisdom seek a divisional system? In the not so distant past when England and NZ were the proverbial whipping boys did the ICC seek to relegate them? When the Indians were cannon fodder did the emasculated ICC seek to restrict the number of tours they undertook or hosted? The ICC ought to clean its image before positing the effrontery of relegation. The W.I. made world cricket the drawing card it currently is. How soon do we forget?
Anthony Barrett
Granville, St James
Jamaica

Relegation was just a matter of time. It just had to happen and I am not one bit surprised .And I also think it is best for West Indies cricket. Just getting pass Bangladesh might be difficult.
Anand
Tunapuna, Trinidad

As a Caribbean fan, I say to the WICB: "That's a fair delivery, gentlemen. Just play the ball, if you can!"
Tony Webster
Bridgetown, Barbados

It is about time as these young cricketers from the Caribbean have been riding on the coat tails of the once mighty West Indies team with little regard to the realization that it took a lot of talent, effort and time to become the greatest. TV has given them the wrong impression fooling them that it is a game of fashion styles, earrings, shades chewing gum and not hard work. Radio made the game sound great and the players sound even greater.
The possibility of relegation to a second tier test nation would be good for the West Indies. The board is not blameless at all in this problem, perhaps now that reality is facing them as failures and that they would stop playing politics with the talented players and put the best team on the field.
A Very Sad West Indian.
Tottie Thomas
Bridgetown, Barbados

I totally agree with the {ICC}position to relegate the West Indies cricket team to second tier test match nation. Let’s be serious and face the fact: The West Indies team at present has hit an all time low and the only way to go is upwards. Therefore it should be looked at as blessing by the (ICC) move. As a matter of fact, in my opinion that move should have been taken a long time ago, because there seems to be a certain degree of complacency on the part of certain players and cricket officials.
Brian Paul
New York, U.S.A.

This should be projected for future inaguration-2013. It would bring back competitiveness.
It was bandied about at the time when NZ was at the lower end but was not attempted then. A projected date would seem to level the playing field & encourage players/management boards to get their act in order.
It is a good way to go.
J A Mayro,
Trinidad

Windies cricket has been in serious decline for some years since the retirement of some outstanding players. The current crop of players, with one or two exceptions, crumble at the first sign of adversity and do not give value for money to the paying fans and sponsors. It is a myth that fans worldwide are keen to see this shambolic lot. We can not continue to bask in past glories. Moreover they are seen as an embarrassing joke, who besmirch the name of previous greats. Two divisions would make Test cricket more competitive but there should be at least five teams in the lower division. Fans will need to know when promotion/demotion will occur as they do in other sports. The plan has to be carefully thought through.
Samuel
Melton Mowbray, England

Test cricket is such a boring spectacle presently that it is a blessing to see when the teams are "unevenly matched". The latter means that you would see wickets fall, runs scored and to much relief the game over in less than five days.
West Indies should focus on One Day and 20/20 cricket and get a head-start on what will be the future of the game.
Can you imagine, When England falls out the top seven, the ICC asking them to relegate to another grouping? Nonsense!!!
Test Cricket is like roller-skating: you see someone doing it and you wonder why? We have given the game of cricket too much for us to be treated like outcasts.
Might as well have two seasons of Stanford 20/20 than play Test Cricket.
Wayne Murray
Kingstown, St. Vincent

Yes, they should have done that a long time ago. They are not fit to be among the top seven.
George B Solomon
Saskatoon, Canada

The ICC for years now is doing all it can to ruin West Indies dominance.
Murtland Fraser
Georgetown, Guyana

This would officially start the slow death of W.I. Test cricket. With football and basketball continuing to grow, 20/20 becoming more popular, and now little chance of the big teams visiting the island, organisations will find little reason to sponsor the test team. This is very sad, especially since the West Indies finally had the implemented modern infrastructure for the ICC World Cup just one year ago.
Francis
Toronto, Canada