“Maybe West Indies could win ICC T-20 World Cup again too!”

Mar 16, 2014 Sports

Colin E. H. Croft
Maybe West Indies could surprise us again, and, as the team I played in did in 1979, after a similarly-led Clive Lloyd team had won ICC’s first World Cup in 1975, WI can repeat as ICC World T-20 Champions 2014, in Bangladesh, after powerfully winning last ICC WT-20 championship in Sri Lanka 2012!

Darren Sammy

WI’s showing against England was impressive, giving enjoyment and hopes for a repeat!
If West Indies does win in Bangladesh, it would be our fifth success at ICC world events, since, WI were unlikely winners of ICC Champion Trophy in 2004, in England.
England, who invented cricket, has only won one ICC trophy; WT-20 2010; to date!
Despite losing the last game of this T-20 series, there is no cricket team anywhere that is as uniquely suited for T-20 cricket, as West Indies, with batting line-up and bowling attack deliciously varied!
T-20 cricket is exactly what present WI cricketers, right now, are engineered for; intense, powerful, energetic cricket throughout!
Maybe Darren Sammy would do a Lloyd too, since Sammy was captain when WI won in Sri Lanka. He has certainly matured as a cricketer and leader, and as shown in T-20 No. 2 against England last Tuesday, carries a heavy bat. His muscular hitting is out of this world.
T-20 No. 1 v England was as efficient a performance by West Indies as could have been imagined, but, closing at 170-3, West Indies had made 30 runs too few, especially given the start they had from returning, but still out-of-touch Chris Gayle, and the thunderous Dwayne Smith. What a duo of openers!
In just 37 deliveries, Gayle and Smith had put on 57 before separation, a start that WI should have capitalized on, but by the time Gayle was out at 87-2, for 43, 69 of the 120 deliveries had gone.
Marlon Samuels, a classical batsman showing that T-20’s is not all about slogging, and, remember, “Man of Match” of WT-20 2012’s final, made a magnificent 69 not out, including ten fours and one six. To look at Samuels at the crease brings back so many memories of that other majestic Jamaican batsman, Lawrence Rowe.
Spin was always going to be West Indies trump card, even at Kensington Oval, where England were fooled into playing mostly faster bowlers.
But here is where, if anywhere, West Indies selectors erred overall.
WT-20 2014 is being played in Bangladesh, on slow, low pitches, where spinners would probably be even more lethal, but as was seen in T-20 No. 1 v England, it only takes one injury incident to remove either of West Indies star spinners Samuels Badree or Sunil Narine, or both, leaving a massive hole in the attack.
The selectors should have added another spinner, probably Barbados’ Sulieman Benn, or Guyana’s Veerasammy Permaul, as cover, instead of selecting yet another faster bowler, Sheldon Cottrell.

Krishmar Santokie

In T-20 No. 1 v England, Badree and Narine were almost unplayable; 4-0-17-3 and 2-0-8-1, respectively, 36 deliveries for only 25 runs while getting four wickets; before Narine had to leave the field with a foot injury. Indeed, there was yet another scare too when Badree injured his hand attempting a return catch.
But the composure, efficiency, elegance and energy that West Indies used to beat England, by 27 runs, in T-20 No. 1 were as aesthetic as a sleek Bombardier Lear-Jet 60; fast, classy and highly productive!
With mystery spinner Narine sensibly rested for T-20 No. 2 v England, Jamaican left-arm, round arm swinger Krishmar Santokie was included.
Santokie did not disappoint, as his accuracy and pace confused the English to such an extent that he finished with a superlative 4-0-21-4; incredibly good figures for an almost T-20 expert.
England should have been dismissed for less than 100, had West Indies taken their catches, and had umpiring decisions gone their way, but 152-7 from England should have been manageable. It was not!
Gayle and Smith were again dynamic, but once separated, West Indies wobbled slightly to be 111-3, then 117-5 by over No. 17. Then Sammy, with that Herculean, over-powering approach, stepped in.
30 runs, including three sixes and two fours, in only nine deliveries from the tall St. Lucian, in an unbeaten partnership of 38 with Dwayne Bravo, showed how adept Sammy has now become at T-20 cricket.
T-20 No. 3 was in WI’s grasps too, when England were 138-6, over #19, after being 112-1 at one stage.
Then Christopher Jordan really took to Dwayne Bravo’s last over, hitting four sixes in an over that WI’s ODI captain would want to forget, trying too many slower deliveries and variations, as England got to 165-6; a very useful score.
With West Indies immediately wobbling at 28-3, there was need for intelligent batting, this offered by Lendl Simmons, who made an enterprising 69.
Alas, the task was way too much for West Indies, as even lusty blows by Sammy could not keep England from winning by five runs; West Indies winning the T-20 series 2-1.
So, after that, all that we can do now is wish WI luck in Bangladesh. All the best, gentlemen! Enjoy!