On paper, West Indies are not supposed to compete with the big team favourites like England, India and Australia. But as they say, games are not won on paper. This team is known for its charismatic style and big hitting stroke-makers and is one which will never run out of hitters. They may have re-branded them as “The Windies” in recent times, but those who have followed cricket for a while will know that that the West Indies team of yore was renowned for winning two consecutive World Cups in ‘75 and ‘79 at a time when ODI cricket was just developing. Fast-forward to 2019, and you could be forgiven for harbouring hopes that the somehow a bunch of 11 cricketers from various islands could somehow gel together and produce a performance to inspire the dawn of cricket on the “Indies Islands” once more. Taking a back-burner to basketball most of the times, captain Jason Holder, the inspiring all-rounder will be looking to show through his individual and team’s performances that they are force to be reckoned with and are ready to carve out another glorious chapter in the history of West Indies Cricket.

By Dr_Bassim (22nd May, 2019)


Strengths:

It’s obvious where the strengths of West Indies lie which is in the big hitting batsmen, who swing the bat and hit those maximums and do it with ridiculous ease. The batting spearhead is none other than Chris Gayle whose ability to clear most grounds of the world with immaculate ease is second to none. The recall of Evin Lewis and some other talented batsmen in the form of Shimron Hetmyer and Shai hope, give hope to the Windies fans, that the batting can construct totals beyond the ability of chasing sides, or chase challenging games and win them on batting alone. The fast bowling in the form of Shannon Gabriel and Kemar Roach is also not to be ignored. Especially Roach on his day, can be lethal and single-handedly win games for West Indies.


Weaknesses:

If West Indies have any weaknesses, it’s in the spin department. With the rapid decline of Sunil Narine, following ICC clampdown on chucking, West Indies did well to not include him in their World Cup plans as he simply wasn’t good enough. But that does mean the selectors were left with a huge headache in the spin department. Ashley Nurse can be good, but leaks runs and hasn’t got the control to make it count in hard times. A lack of genuine spinner could hurt West Indies chances, especially at times when the ball keeps going to the boundary and some control on the game is necessary.


Players to Watch:

Chris Gayle - The name needs no defining. A firing Gayle is a huge problem for the opposition as he can simply go in his “zone mode” and finish off the games for the West Indies. If Chris Gayle has a good World Cup in batting, it is almost certain that West Indies will be close to a semi-final spot.

Kemar Roach - Playing in his 3rd world Cup, he should have the experience to help West Indies hit their bowling targets along with his partner Shannon Gabriel and the new boy Oshane Thomas. If Roach has his good days, a lot of team’s top order will be blown away quickly.

Shai Hope - The stylish batsman has much to offer and if he has a good World Cup, West Indies will definitely make huge strides forward.

Shimron Hetmyer - New and fresh to this World Cup, this is one batsman I would watch out far, especially after his fast century against England. If he gets going, a lot of heads will turn. 


Prediction:

It’s hard to predict how far the West Indies will go in this tournament. Yes, they seem to have the right type of batsmen but all of them are aggressive stroke-makers. However, if the pitches are flat and there is no swing on offer, I wouldn’t be surprised if West Indies being the giant-killers they are, still knock out a top team to reach at least the semi-final stage. Winning the entire event seems unlikely, but stranger things have happened in cricket. Let’s just hope to the beat of Samba music that the West Indies'' Calypso Kings will come to the party and deliver entertainment to all of us during upcoming World Cup.


Full Squad

Jason Holder (Captain)
Chris Gayle (Captain)
Kemar Roach
Darren Bravo
Andre Russell
Shai Hope
Sheldon Cottrell
Evin Lewis
Shannon Gabriel
Carlos Brathwaite
Ashley Nurse
Shimron Hetmyer
Fabian Allen
Oshane Thomas
Nicholas Pooran

Discuss!