Will the West Indies ever rise again?

[archie mac]

We can only hope.

It should also be remembered that the Windies had some great sides in the 50s The 3 Ws and the 60s Sobers, Hall, Kanhai etc.

So this is really the first period in WI cricket history (apart from when they first entered Test cricket) that they are at the bottom.

I am not sure of the answers though, but maybe they could send their best young prospects to Aust and Eng for some coaching.

 

[James]

According to the WIndies radio commentator (forget his name) we're getting on RadioSport here in New Zealand, cricket is becoming a smaller and smaller sport in the Caribbean. Most kids these days prefer to get into football or basketball, and very little interest is shown in cricket by the younger generation.

He was also saying crowds at internationals and domestic games have been poor the past couple of years, and media coverage is lacking.

Overall, this guy seems very down-hearted on the future for WIndies cricket.

 

[archie mac]

According to the WIndies radio commentator (forget his name) we're getting on RadioSport here in New Zealand, cricket is becoming a smaller and smaller sport in the Caribbean. Most kids these days prefer to get into football or basketball, and very little interest is shown in cricket by the younger generation.

He was also saying crowds at internationals and domestic games have been poor the past couple of years, and media coverage is lacking.

Overall, this guy seems very down-hearted on the future for WIndies cricket.

Gee that does not sound to good I imagine it would be much cheaper to play basket ball and soccer as well.

 

[luckyeddie]

Let's hope that WC2007 stimulates some enthusiasm amongst the kids.

 

[Langeveldt]

According to the WIndies radio commentator (forget his name) we're getting on RadioSport here in New Zealand, cricket is becoming a smaller and smaller sport in the Caribbean. Most kids these days prefer to get into football or basketball, and very little interest is shown in cricket by the younger generation.

He was also saying crowds at internationals and domestic games have been poor the past couple of years, and media coverage is lacking.

Overall, this guy seems very down-hearted on the future for WIndies cricket.

I struggled to find a cricket pitch in Jamaica, it certainly isn't what the youngsters were playing..

When I tried getting a bus to the Sabina park test, most people didn't seem that interested, half didn't even know what was going on there.. Not the characteristics of a flourishing cricketing nation

 

[Goughy]

They may become a good team again in the future but they will never become dominant again. There are a number of factors. I'll go through some of them and in fact I would put money on them continuing to be poor for a fair few years.

On the other hand when the Windies were dominant from the mid to late seventies to the early nineties it was due to a number of great players just happening to emerge at the same time rather than any deliberate plan.

Firstly the above statement is false. To acurately analyse the future you must understand the past. Whilst there were undoubtably many talented players that appeared during this period it is important to understand the factors that help shape this team and the system in which they evolved.

• Despite possessing quality players, the WI didn't become "Great" until Clive Lloyd made the decision to dispence with a spinner. This near revolutionary act put the West Indies at a competetive advantage and put them playing a futuristic style of cricket in the 1970s when the rest of the world were left with old traditional selectoral opinions
• The West Indies were ahead in terms of sports science. They were the 1st test team to value their fast bowlers as commodities and investments and provide the correct physiotherapy and support staff to enable them to perform at their best. The way the WI treated their quicks was ahead of their time.
• The West Indies used English club cricket as a developmental arena and County cricket as a finishing school. This provided experience in different conditions and masses of players with experience of performing under the weight of expectation and as a hardened professional.

These are all aspects that apart from talent contributed heavily to the success of of the team for the period in question.

They are also factors that will never be reproduced to the same extent in the modern game. It is unlikely a captaincy masterstroke will take on the world again, the West Indies have fallen along way behind in the application of sports science (is in any surprize that the Aussies led the world durng their recent domination) and the number of West Indians in County cricket is at a low point.

Other factors have changed since the mentioned time period. Cricket around the world has become far more professional and competetive, the current WI team must play allcomers when the all conquering WI team were never tested against what would have been the second best team in the world (SA), the intimidation factor of Lloyds genius has worn off and can never be replaced and I could go on....

The movement to bball and soccer is not as big as often mentioned but is still a factor, facilities are somewhat of an issue.

The simple fact is that WI led the world in preparation and professionalism and now the world has overtaken them and the lack of financial resources and a administrative head in the sand attitude will make it difficult to catch up let alone regain the top spot.

This may be a sad fact for some to think about but:
Rather than look if the WI can ever be great again it maybe time to recognize and give respect to the fact that they played far and away above what could be expected of a population that small and maybe the natural order has been restored.

 

[James]

When I tried getting a bus to the Sabina park test, most people didn't seem that interested, half didn't even know what was going on there.. Not the characteristics of a flourishing cricketing nation

Gosh, that's very sad indeed.

I'm looking forward to some of our WIndies members coming along and speaking first hand on how they see the game at the moment.

 

[quytst0rm]

Why would the kids pick cricket when they could be payed 50x more playing basketball or soccer? Also many of the kids parents would rather buy a soccer ball or basketball then buying an expensive cricket kit and replacing the bat every six months.

 

[Langeveldt]

Why would the kids pick cricket when they could be payed 50x more playing basketball or soccer? Also many of the kids parents would rather buy a soccer ball or basketball then buying an expensive cricket kit and replacing the bat every six months.

You get kids making do, I remember watching a game of cricket in Zimbabwe where they were hitting a coke can with a stick.. If there is genuine passion for a game, money isn't an obstacle..

 

[Smudge]

James,

Fazheer Mohammad? (or something like that).

 

[sirjeremy11]

James,

Fazheer Mohammad? (or something like that).

Fazir?

 

[James]

James,

Fazheer Mohammad? (or something like that).

Yep, that's the guy.

 

[archie mac]

James,

Fazheer Mohammad? (or something like that).

Yes he was on Aust. radio for the last tour by the Windies. Skull called him Faz, not a bad commentator

 

[silentstriker]

Unfortunatly, I was in the area for about a month, just last month. And, I can tell you, most people are much more interested in Basketball than cricket these days.

And why not? The top basketball stars can make $20-$30 million per year in salary alone, not counting endoresments. Even a backup player in the NBA can make as much as a Brian Lara.

Add to that, Basketball is more glamorous. Kids watch cricket stars toiling away for 8 hours a day, and on the other hand watch basketball stars hit slam dunks, drive expensive cars and singing rap songs in their free time. There is more money, more advertising, and more *** appeal in the NBA/NFL then there is in cricket. Basketball is about fun, cricket is about discipline.

When I went over there, I naturally asked people about cricket. About half of them barely knew the rules, and most of them couldn't name anyone besides Lara, but they could name all the starters and backups of their favorite NBA team.

From my limited experience, its a slowly but surely dying game in the Carribean. I predict that in fifteen to twenty years, there will be serious questions as to the feasability of West Indies being able to stay a Test nation.

Whether we like it or not, Cricket is a shrinking sport. The collapse is slow and though standing from within the heart of the subcontinent it may look impregnable, the edges are definatly rotting.

 

[SJS]

Will the West Indies ever rise again?

Of course they will. Led by the mighty Lara they will rise in unity against the salary structure for players since it hasn't been revised for last 37 days and doesnt reward near wins, near centuries, near fifties, near double digits, near catches....

 

[33/3from3.3]

i would like them to but i dont reckon itll happen for a while

 

[Emcee]

It seems the soccer/basketball arguement keeps getting brought up but is cricket the top sport in Australia/SA or England either. I mean in Australia we have the AFL, NRL and four Super 14's team paying hundreds of players a good salary, better than that of a state cricketer while the A-league and NBL would pay pretty similar to first-class cricket and yet we have no problem attracting players. Really from what ive seen its more down to a lack of quality facilities, poor coaching and shambolic behaviour at board level. Players like Gayle, Sarwan, Bravo and Ramdin demonstrate the talent is still there for mine and just needs the right conditions in which to grow. The ICC needs to start campaigning the established cricket boards to help pour cash into the poorer and developing nations as surely last years ashes series shows the public are still willing to turn up and watch test cricket if its of a high quality.

 

[Jono]

I agree Emcee. I'm not buying this basketball excuse. Many other nations have rival sports. Cricket is far from the most popular sport in England, but its still doing well enough.

Plus, back in the 80s basketball still paid very well, how come it wasn't the number 1 sport then? Its the poor management and facilities IMO. WI cricket just isn't being run correctly.

 

[aussie]

I struggled to find a cricket pitch in Jamaica, it certainly isn't what the youngsters were playing..

When I tried getting a bus to the Sabina park test, most people didn't seem that interested, half didn't even know what was going on there.. Not the characteristics of a flourishing cricketing nation

thats true when i was their in 2004 it was mainly the English supporters who were rolling up to the gates during that test. I saw a lot of football being played though..

 

[aussie]

Let's hope that WC2007 stimulates some enthusiasm amongst the kids.

for the sake of their cricket lets hope West Indies does fairly well in the tournament