Can West Indies ever become a cricketing super power again?

Gone is the era when teams feared playing against West Indies Cricket team. It was for one simple reason : 6-7 ft tall fast bowlers that they had in their team. The likes of Malcolm Marshal, Joel Garner, Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Ian Bishop, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh. West Indies produced great fast bowlers as if they had the factory of producing them.

Every fast bowler they produced complemented each other so well that it was unimaginable to even think of any other combination of bowlers during that era. Almost everyone had speed, if one had a lethal yorker, the other possessed an out swinger, an in swinger, and with great line and length they dictated their terms to the batsmen. Batsmen feared facing these tall bowlers. Many got injured and did not even return to play again.

The history dates to 1880`s when for the first time West Indies cricket team was formed. The period between 1980 and 1989 is said to be the golden era of Windies cricket team. Against the major teams like Aus, Ind, NZ, Eng, Pak, West Indies played a total of 69 matches during the period of 1981 to 1990. Out of these, they won 40 test matches and lost just 7. Remember, that was the period when not many test matches produced results as compared to today. Winning 40 test matches out of 69 is a big number. Only Australia must have had a better record during 2000 to 2007.

West Indies team also had players like gary SObers, Viv Richards, Carl Hooper and Brian Lara. They were the legends of the game. Todays West Indian team has very few players who have impacted world cricket in a very big way. They still have Chanderpaul, Gayle, Ramdin, Samuels. But the fresh blood in their side has not really been impressive. To be a world beater they need many such players. Even after the legends of the game left their side, WI was able to produce top quality cricketers in their side such as Merv Dillon, Franklyn Rose, Ridley Jacobs, Jimmy Adams, all of whom won WI many matches on their own.

To be the same cricketing power again in world cricket, WI needs to focus on all formats of cricket. Right now it seems like they are producing cricketers mostly for the shortest format of the game i.e T20. They need to remember that a Test Matches are also important. A batsman as good as Lara may not be found ever but yet there has to be someone who can fill his gap. They need to get above the contract problems the team has faced before and come out as a nation who supports their players. I guess West Indies would need to fight extremely hard to be the same cricketing giant.