A second string India team without 6 of their top players has defeated the West Indies in the 3 games played till now. The series is well...pretty boring considering the fact there are no big names and the cricket played is not of the finest quality. The West Indies have been on a demise since the 1980's and now seem no more than a Bangladesh or Zimbabwe. West Indies was associated with the cool easy-go attitude of players and fans and the entertainment their team provided to the world of cricket which is completely missing now-a days. There are many reasons as to why the West indies have turned into minnows.
First would be the slow dead pitches of the carribean. Its ironic to see a country known for its fast bowlers who could bounce anyone off now roll out such slow and low pitches. The tracks in Windies turn more than even in India. Couple this with slow outfields and what we get are frequent low scoring games which are enough to shoo away the oldest cricket maniacs. The essence of West Indies has been lost with empty stands during most of the games. The 2007 World Cup was a big flop due to the high pricing of tickets and the fact that that the carribean people were asked to come early in the morning to watch matches to cater the sub-continental audience. That time has long gone back when matches in West Indies were no less than a party for both players and fans as people used to drink beer and dance while the game was on.
Second would be the fact there has been a dearth of young cricketing talent in West Indies. The popularity of cricket seems to be going down pretty fast in the island nation with people more interested in NBA and other sports. Also the experienced players like gayle, sarwan, chanderpaul etc more often than not get involved into controversies with the West Indies cricket board. This has jeopardized the West Indies cricket team an more often than not they are not able to field their best eleven. The WICB has been a bit unprofessional and unfair to its players owing to its financial crisis. Their domestic tournaments are below par and unable to churn out new exciting players.
Another reason is that other top teams have started ignoring the West Indies and usually send second string teams to the West Indies which is disappointing for the players and fans alike. The pitches in West Indies have become slow turners. West Indies is known for producing quality fast bowlers rather than spinners and thus other teams usually take all the advantage of the turning tracks and thus defeat the West Indies quite easily even if it is a second string India or Pakistan team. West Indies are constantly sliding down the rankings, their board is in a mess, pitches are getting worse and its people are not loving cricket more. Its high time that the ICC intervene and help the troubled Carribean nation or else cricket will completely lose their coolest fan base.
First would be the slow dead pitches of the carribean. Its ironic to see a country known for its fast bowlers who could bounce anyone off now roll out such slow and low pitches. The tracks in Windies turn more than even in India. Couple this with slow outfields and what we get are frequent low scoring games which are enough to shoo away the oldest cricket maniacs. The essence of West Indies has been lost with empty stands during most of the games. The 2007 World Cup was a big flop due to the high pricing of tickets and the fact that that the carribean people were asked to come early in the morning to watch matches to cater the sub-continental audience. That time has long gone back when matches in West Indies were no less than a party for both players and fans as people used to drink beer and dance while the game was on.
Second would be the fact there has been a dearth of young cricketing talent in West Indies. The popularity of cricket seems to be going down pretty fast in the island nation with people more interested in NBA and other sports. Also the experienced players like gayle, sarwan, chanderpaul etc more often than not get involved into controversies with the West Indies cricket board. This has jeopardized the West Indies cricket team an more often than not they are not able to field their best eleven. The WICB has been a bit unprofessional and unfair to its players owing to its financial crisis. Their domestic tournaments are below par and unable to churn out new exciting players.
Another reason is that other top teams have started ignoring the West Indies and usually send second string teams to the West Indies which is disappointing for the players and fans alike. The pitches in West Indies have become slow turners. West Indies is known for producing quality fast bowlers rather than spinners and thus other teams usually take all the advantage of the turning tracks and thus defeat the West Indies quite easily even if it is a second string India or Pakistan team. West Indies are constantly sliding down the rankings, their board is in a mess, pitches are getting worse and its people are not loving cricket more. Its high time that the ICC intervene and help the troubled Carribean nation or else cricket will completely lose their coolest fan base.
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