Opinion West Indies 2.0
Calypso is back in vogue,this time in the games newest format
West Indian cricket fans have been haunted by the back-in-the-day s syndrome since the mid-1990s,when their fortunes started plummeting. This sense of nostalgia,however,could take a backseat in Sri Lanka,where Darren Sammy and his team enter the fourth World T20 as the unexpected favourites. But such is the nature of the shortest format that the tag can often be unfounded the three previous tournaments witnessed unexpected champions. Despite Sammys good run as captain recently,any talk of redemption for the West Indies cricket team is fraught with danger. There have been too many false starts over the last decade. Nevertheless,that old aura of insuperability might be back.
How can it not be when your line-up boasts Chris Gayle,Kieron Pollard,Dwayne Bravo,Dwayne Smith and Sunil Narine,not to forget Marlon Samuels and Andre Russell? Opposition captains are said to have spent many a sleepless night preparing for the worst against the might of the West Indies back in their heyday. There is enough reason now for opponents to be quaking in their boots.
In Gayle and Smith,the West Indies have two seasoned and battle-hardened bludgeoners of the cricket ball,both with strike-rates ranging over 150. The potential for carnage doesnt stop with them,what with the likes of Bravo,Pollard,Samuels and Russell waiting in the wings. And its not just the bowlers who have a lot to fear. Spare a thought for the batsmen who have to contend with the wiles of the canny Narine. Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan once asked Abdul Qadir to sport a goatee in order to add to the mysticism around his leg-spin. The Trinidadian trickster,though,has bamboozled batsmen worldwide with a simple,ungainly Mohawk and an extraordinary set of fingers.
The emergence of T20 cricket and the many IPL-style leagues around the world has attracted many detractors in the Caribbean,especially with the likes of Gayle,Pollard and Bravo choosing club over country on more than one occasion. The Jamaican opener,in particular,was derided as a renegade in search of a quick buck. But with Gayle and the rest returning to the fold,West Indian cricket is set to gain the most.
This bunch of globetrotting entertainers Gayle,Bravo and Pollard have played for 15 teams across the globe have made T20 their own. The worldwide demand for West Indian cricketers in T20 leagues is understandable,considering the impact they have had. Gayle and Narine,for example,ended up with man of the tournament awards in the previous two editions of the IPL. Smith,Bravo and now Russell have developed reputations for being T20 specialists,be it in England or Bangladesh.
Former Trinidad and Tobago skipper Daren Ganga recently spoke about how T20 has not only revitalised cricket in the Caribbean,it has also provided a major source of revenue in an atmosphere where the board and players body constantly bicker and haggle over payments. Nowhere is this truer than in Trinidad. It was Gangas team that was responsible for setting alight the first-ever Champions League in 2009. It also gave Pollard to the world. And the present 15-member West Indies squad in Sri Lanka,not surprisingly,comprises eight Trinidadians.
Many experts have blamed the present lot for lacking pride in the legacy of cricket in the Caribbean. But who can blame Gayle and Co for making the most of their innate talents in the present scenario,especially when central contracts with the WICB pale in comparison to what their contemporaries earn in other parts of the world. Whos to say that Clive Lloyd and Co. wouldnt have gone the Gayle way,like they did with Kerry Packer?
Not many would argue that Viv Richards would have taken to T20 like fish to water. Even the great man recently revealed that he would have opted for the IPL over the maroon cap if the administrators had treated him the way they used to. The WICB seems to have realised the benefits of letting their men pave individual paths. They allowed Pollard to miss an ODI series last year so that he could enhance his T20 credentials,and have also let Samuels pick and choose his series. Now,just like Lloyd and Co,they are united under one West Indian banner and easily look the most formidable outfit among the 12 in Sri Lanka.
The Emerald Isle might not quite be Babylon for Sammy and Co. But not in close to 20 years has a West Indian team looked better-equipped to once again bring the world to its knees and its united nation of islands to its feet.
bharat.sundaresan@expressindia.com
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