Windies boost for World cricket

Many often regret that the world of cricket is shrinking. Not in terms of the number of participating teams, but taking into account the number of teams capable of performing consistently at the top level. Barring India, England, Australia and South Africa, there are no other contenders for the top few spots on the Test ranking table. In this context, the West Indies’ stunning win against England comes as a pleasant surprise to all those who had become fans of the brand of cricket the Caribbean team used to dish out before its decline. England has been one of the best sides in recent times, winning matches at home as well as abroad.

Beating them with a match to go in a three-Test series calls for celebrations indeed. This has sparked optimism about the revival of cricket in West Indies. But it is important to note that reviving a legacy is a lengthy process and one series is too short a period to determine if things are headed in that direction. At the same time, certain changes in attitude are also hard to overlook. A conglomeration of tiny, independent islands low on resources, the West Indies lost a generation of cricketers to T20.

Some of their better players became so committed to the format that they refused to play the longer version. So when the team displayed skills valued in Test cricket—which amount to nothing in the T20 market—it was heartening.

They played old-fashioned cricket based on a blend of caution and aggression, rather than trying to take the game to the opposition all the time. While it is premature to conclude this will change things, it can be assumed that there will be short-term benefits at least. Sponsorship and viewership for cricket in the Caribbean can expect a boost and budding players can have new role models who don’t specialise only in one format. And of course, West Indies cricket can expect the boost it was craving for. In general, it is good news for a sport fighting to keep interest alive worldwide.