Once giant-killers, the West Indian cricketers are now a lowly placed outfit in the rankings, struggling no doubt to raise their profile.

The shock four-wicket defeat at the hands of Ireland in their World Cup opener in Nelson puts the West Indies in a lot vulnerable situation now than ever before as they take on Pakistan in tomorrow’s game at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

Gone are the days when the West Indies ruled the roost in the 1970s and 80s with legendary Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards guiding them to the glory of winning the 1975 and 1979 World Cups, before they lost the 1983 Cup decider to India at Lord’s.

They were unquestionably the ‘invincibles’, in the real sense of the word.

With a battery of fast bowlers like Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, Colin Croft, Malcolm Marshal, Michael Holding and Curtley Ambrose and Courteny Walsh and a spinner of the class of Lance Gibbs backed by the finest of batsmen of the time — Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Rohan Kanhai, Alvin Kallicharran, Clive Lloyd and Richards — they couldn’t have asked for more.

Time takes its toll though and with the passing of it, the West Indies regularly lost their shining stars and a slump in standards continued with such intensity that replacements became too difficult to discover. Perhaps in their golden years they did not care to prepare a second line of players to keep their domination going.

Off and on came up geniuses like Brian Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, Marlon Samuels et al.

But the brilliance of yesteryear still remained missing. Inter-island rivalry, politics, dispute with the cricket board, rebellions and conflict of interest within the team itself have ruefully contributed to all what we witness in the make-up of a West Indian team now.

One can recall 2009 when a rebellion of players in the West Indies against their cricket board had such proportions that a majority of their regular players were withdrawn and second-string and untested players were picked for a two-Test home rubber against Bangladesh. A stunning result was witnessed as Bangladesh whitewashed the Caribbean side 2-0.

And only last year rebellious players in dispute with West Indies cricket authorities at home abandoned their Test tour of India in the midst of it to return home, thus inviting the wrath of the board officials.

As a result, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard lost their World Cup place, thus leaving the West Indies even more uncertain about themselves.

It is interesting to note that West Indies is a conglomerate of a number of islands in the Caribbean sea. Every island is an independent country with its own government and parliament. Their unity holds them together to form a West Indies team.

Columbus had discovered these islands inhabited by the Arawaks and the Caribs, the original inhabitants of the island who after years of European invasions faded into oblivion to be replaced by the African slaves and indentured labour from India by the colonialists whose descendents now form the West Indies team.

Sons of the slaves bowled to sons of the Empire builders to learn the game, that is how it all started there.

Producing such great cricketers in the past like George Headley (Black Bradman), Sir Clyde Walcott, Sir Everton Weekes, Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Viv Richards, Brain Lara and the players already mentioned above to name a few.

West Indies’ first victory in a Test series in England in 1950 with the help of spin twin Sonny Ramadhin and Alfred Valentine was as much a time for celebration as was when they first played in a Test in 1928 at Lord’s making their international debut.

The West Indians took to one-day cricket with as much success and authority as they did when in their prime.

In recent times though such pride and passion that characterised their style of play lacks a kind of commitment and enthusiasm.

Over the years I have travelled to the West Indies with various teams enjoying the game, their passion and the ambiance that their islands present and to other parts of the world when they ruled.

They love to play the game as much as we do in Pakistan and the others in their own country. Declining form, absence of players of years gone by and disappointing results have all contributed in their unpopularity as one of the world’s top teams.

In the leafy suburbs of Christchurch the Hagley Park is now a new venue where they will face Pakistan who themselves are in as much turmoil having selected a poor team.

Both West Indies and Pakistan have lost their opener and no doubt to resurrect their pride they will be at each other’s throat to strike the first blow.

Lancaster Park, the old venue where I covered Richard Hadlee’s 400th Test wicket against India, the first bowler to do so in the game’s history and where witnessed Pakistan beat New Zealand in the 1992 World Cup to make the semi-finals against them is my abiding memory.

Unfortunately, Lancaster Park was destroyed in 2011 in that severe earthquake there, claiming with it 185 lives as well.

A fresh venue and a new match for the old rivals in this Cup would indeed matter if they need to progress in this vital game tomorrow.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2015

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