After a seven-wicket defeat to Scotland in the ongoing qualifiers, the West Indies (WI) have been officially knocked out of the 2023 World Cup contention.
This marked their third consecutive defeat, following humiliating losses against Zimbabwe and the Netherlands.
It is worth noting that this will be the first time the two-time champions will not feature in an ODI World Cup.
In recent years, the decline of West Indies cricket has been evident across various formats
They failed to qualify for the 2017 Champions Trophy after winning the 2016 T20 World Cup.
In the 2019 World Cup, they finished ninth and managed to win only one game in the 2021 T20 World Cup. Additionally, they did not qualify for the 2022 T20 World Cup.
The decline extends beyond white-ball cricket as well, as they finished eighth in both cycles of the World Test Championship.
This downfall is particularly significant considering that the West Indies were once considered one of the most illustrious teams in world cricket.
During the 1970s and 1980s, they were a dominant force, and even a single loss against them was considered a major upset.
However, years of mismanagement have led to a gradual decline, reaching its lowest point now.
With that in mind, let’s examine the three major areas where the West Indies need to improve moving forward.
#1. Excessive focus on T20 cricket
The issues plaguing West Indies cricket are not new. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the team has been one of the most inconsistent sides globally.
Despite winning the 2012 and 2016 T20 World Cups, their performance in 50-over and Test Cricket has been consistently poor.
However, neither the players nor the cricket board have made any significant efforts to prioritize the longer formats of the game.
Players like Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, and Andre Russell have dominated T20 cricket for years.
However, since the retirements of legends like Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Brian Lara, the West Indies have struggled to produce world-class players in Test and ODI cricket.
Even in their bowling attack, apart from Jason Holder, they lack standout players who can match the standards of teams like Australia, England, India, and New Zealand.
Consequently, their excessive focus on the shortest format has hampered their performance in longer formats.
#2. Issues between the West Indies Cricket Board and the players
Over the years, several West Indies players have faced problems with their cricket board.
Players like Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shimron Hetmyer, and others have either had or continue to have prolonged absences from international cricket due to disputes with the board.
Even in the recent World Cup qualifiers, key players such as Russell, Narine, Kemar Roach, and Hetmyer were absent.
These persistent issues with star players have resulted in the West Indies rarely fielding a full-strength squad in major tournaments.
Often, the conflicts revolve around payment-related matters, leading the star players to prioritize lucrative T20 leagues worldwide over national duties.
As a result, the team ends up competing with weaker squads in international events, leading to premature exits.
#3. Consistently poor bowling and fielding performances
The West Indies have historically produced some of the finest fielders and bowlers in cricket.
Players like Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, and Darren Sammy have delivered outstanding fielding displays that could change the course of matches.
However, the current team is far from reaching that level. Following their defeat against the Netherlands, West Indies head coach Darren Sammy.
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