For those who have seen the glory days of West Indies cricket, the sight of them missing the bus to ICC World Cup 2023 was deeply painful. The legendary Gordon Greenidge and Joel Garner know the feeling of winning a World Cup.
They were part of Clive Lloyd’s invincible outfit that lifted the trophy in 1979, beating England at Lord’s.
“See! I don’t watch too much cricket these days, especially the white ball ones. Earlier a West Indies defeat used to hurt a lot but now it doesn’t that much as our standards have fallen over the years.
“But yes, a World Cup without the West Indies is quite unimaginable. We have no more depth to hit,” former West Indies opener Greenidge told PTI.
The view found an echo in Garner’s words.
“We are not what we were, right! Earlier, there used to be a lot of pride in playing for the West Indies. It was our motivation. Now, the young players are getting more attracted to T20 leagues. No blame on them as everyone looks around for security.
“Our generation also did not get too much money; it came mainly from County cricket. But now this generation of cricketers has many avenues to earn, and they cannot be blamed for using them. The pride of playing for the West Indies has to be brought back,” said Garner.
When the West Indies failed to enter the Super 12 of ICC T20 World Cup 2022, then Cricket West Indies president Ricky Skerritt had promised a thorough investigation and revamp. But going by the recent occurrences, nothing much has evolved since. Understandably, Skerritt is disappointed.
“It is deeply disappointing to see West Indies missing a World Cup berth. It is utterly frustrating considering the lofty legacy our cricket has,” he said.
