West Indies: A Dark Horse in the upcoming T20 World Cup?

When it comes to T20 cricket, there are few names or teams you expect to perform, and in the T20 World Cup, you always want to see the West Indies team on the pitch performing because the match winners that they have are amazing.

However, in the last few years, they haven’t had the success they’d want. They were omitted from the T20 World Cup in 2020 and 2022, and this year’s 50-over World Cup as well. As a fan, you want to see West Indian cricket, especially in the T20 format because they have had players in the past who stood as champions and held the baton high, like in the 2012 and 2016 T20 World Cups. We can never forget the likes of Carlos Brathwaite and what he did to Ben Stokes in the last over of the T20 World Cup final at Eden Gardens. We’ll always remember his name. Whether it was Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, or Marlon Samuels, the West Indies had a strong lineup, and everyone proved themselves to be match-winners for the West Indies team.

So, what happened to the Caribbean team in the last five years that they suddenly experienced a dark patch in their cricket? Firstly, everyone, from former players to fans, is questioning why players give so much importance to league cricket over national cricket. It’s a subjective matter because, apart from the top five cricket boards (Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan), other cricket boards suffer financially. The best example is that boards can’t afford to organize three or five-test match series regularly. Other boards suffer due to a lack of a domestic structure, making it difficult to pay domestic players as much as they should. This forces players from the West Indies and South Africa to choose league cricket over national cricket, turning out to be a significant downfall for West Indies cricket.

The second reason is their playing nature. The current lot of West Indies players are more inclined towards attacking cricket, which is a double-edged sword. They’ve used this approach in other forms as well, in ODIs and in Test cricket, which has become a damaging approach for their team.

But why does this West Indies team look like a strong contender now? After the inclusion of players like Shai Hope, Rovman Powell, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, and debutants like Gudakesh Motie, the team looks in fine touch, with all bases covered. They have players like Shimron Hetmyer, and Kyle Mayers, and all-rounders like Jason Holder who can also chip in as a batter when required. West Indies is going to be a dark horse, and it’s fair to say they proved themselves in 2023.

With a full-strength team, starting with the West Indies tour of South Africa, they beat the hosts by a 2–1 scoreline. When India toured the West Indies in August for a T20 series, the host won by a 3–2 line.

England also toured the West Indies, and the host beat them by a 3–2 line. These victories indicate that West Indies is in great form, and it’s worth noting that this time the World Cup is in the West Indies and the USA, which might benefit them due to their familiarity with the conditions. They have played and won many matches there, which won’t be easy for other teams to beat them.