Poll: Will the West Indies ever rise again in Test cricket

There has been enough said and written about the state of affairs in West Indian cricket; on and off the field. Without dwelling much into the negatives, with the emergence of new players, the ‘Dawn of a new Era’ in West Indian cricket has surely begun. One feels a young and ambitious captain in Jason Holder may just be the right recipe for success. History has proved that a new perspective can do wonders in any sport. Holder’s leadership qualities were put to test in the 2015 ODI World Cup and he showed maturity and enough promise to keep the hopes alive for West Indian cricket.

The largely inexperienced Test team is spearheaded in the bowling department by the skipper himself and Jerome Taylor. The supporting cast includes Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel and Carlos Brathwaite. This fast bowling unit is more than capable of unsettling any opposition. Devendra Bishoo is a talented leg-spinner who has at times proved his match-winning abilities while left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican has shown enough promise in the 2 Tests that he has played. The biggest

The biggest worry, though, has been the consistency of the bowlers, as was evident in the defeats suffered in the recent 3 Tests. They will need to get their act together with much-improved disciplines to challenge the opposition batsmen.

Marlon Samuels is the leader of the batting lineup which includes the likes of Darren Bravo, vice-captain Kraigg Brathwaite, Jermaine Blackwood, Shane Dowrich, Shai Hope and wicketkeeper-batsman Denesh Ramdin. Youngsters Shai Hope, Shane Dowrich and Rajendra Chandrika have shown the kind of performances in domestic cricket that got them selected for the national role. This same squad toured Sri Lanka and is currently in Australia for the 3-match Test series. A 2-0 loss in the Asian island has been followed with a humiliating defeat in the first Test at Hobart against the Aussies.

The likes of Brathwaite and Bravo proved in Hobart the value of spending time at the crease. The batsmen can learn a thing or two by watching the videos of someone not far, but their very won batting legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who is a master at the art of playing the ball late. Talent has never been an issue for the Caribbean islanders, however, temperament has been in the longest format. So what is the reason for such heavy defeats and why can’t a talented team like West Indies rise up the ladder in Test cricket?

The administration of West Indian cricket has been heavily criticized for its policies and high-handedness. Senior players have faced all sorts of problems and have been at loggerheads with the WICB since a long time. Off-field discomfort can have a direct impact on the performances of players and that seems to be the case many a times with the West Indies. The Test team, though, is full of new faces and should relish the opportunity to establish itself in international cricket. This team should be allowed to settle in and given the space to grow under the new leadership of Holder.

In Phil Simmons the West Indies have an experienced coach who did wonders for the Ireland cricket team and with time, he may produce the desired results for the Windies as well. Constant chopping and changing can never help any team and the West Indian selectors have done the right thing by sticking with the same team for these two tours.

International Test cricket is challenging and it can take time for a player to find his feet in the most demanding format of the game. If the team can quickly learn from its mistake and show more discipline, there is enough potential for it to become consistent.

We would like fans to share their views about the future of West Indies in Test cricket.

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