The Story:
West India Cricket and its decline isn’t a new story. Since the last decade, the overall popularity and the performance graph of the Windies cricket have been depreciating. The World T20 2016 win was an exception but that win could not make any difference in stabilising the condition in the Islands.
Watching West Indies cricket in such a pitiful condition is very tough, especially for former stars who played in the 70’s and 80’s and almost enjoyed invincible status.
“Once A Legendary Team, Now Helpless”
Gus Logie, the right-handed batsman, was part of the West Indies teams during the legendary time, playing alongside the likes of Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards. Now 56-years-old, the former Trinidad star is quite upset about the current status of West Indies cricket.
“It is disappointing. I had the privilege to play with and against some of the best players in the world at that time, not only from West Indies but other countries. For West Indies, we had a group of individuals we believed every individual was a match-winner,” said Gus during an interview with the HT at the Queen’s Park Oval.
“Cricket Unified Us”
Gus was one of the few players of his era who was renowned for his fielding capabilities. Gus would field with the same intensity at any position, unlike today where we have specialists for each position. He could pull off blinders anywhere in the field — at the point, short leg or deep midwicket. His presence made the team into a total force with very little weakness. His versatility made his an asset.
“We always wanted to do the best not just for ourselves but for our captain, Clive Lloyd, who was a father figure to all the young players coming into the setup, and also the Caribbean people. Because we knew how important cricket was to all of us — unifying force.
We might not be doing well now (but) we still trust our young players and still believe in our hearts that we can turn things around. It is about the players believing in themselves and getting a bit of respect back in West Indies cricket which we have lost both on and off the field.”
“Why Has West Indies Cricket Gone Down?”
One of the core reasons behind the diminishing value of West Indies cricket teams as been the unresolved dispute between the top players and the administrators. The WICB has simply refused to adjust with the changing times.
“You know, there is a combination of things like administration of the sport. We talk about T20 cricket, franchise cricket which has taken away some of your best players. They want to play T20 cricket whether by choice or whether the administration has not really understood the change in the world order. But once you are on the team, you have to be focused, you have to want to do well for your team regardless who the presidents are, who the selectors are. That is where we need to pick up.”
“Only Success Can Bring Back Windies Cricket Back On Track”
One striking and worrying fact noticed in the ongoing West Indies v India series has been the empty stands. Back in the time, the mood was the almost festival like even for less important bilateral series. It was all about enjoying cricket and having a good time watching their favourite stars perform. However, scenes during the 1st ODI between the hosts and India a few days back looked very dry.
Gus feels that only success can revive the interest and develop West Indies cricket.
“I think people gravitate to success. The West Indies team isn’t as successful as it used to be. It has dampened the spirits of a lot of fans in the Caribbean. If we start winning, things might change.”
Talking about stars, the crowd really doesn’t have any big names to cheer. The current unit in action is filled with rookies and less popular names. The likes of Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Kiron Pollard, who attract the masses, have been neglected by the stubborn WICB due to conflicts.
“At the moment West Indies team is not doing well and that is hurting. You want to see Pollards, Gayles etc to be playing with these exciting young guys and that will make a better viewing for public and that’ll bring more support.”