T20 World Cup 2021: SWOT Analysis of West Indies

Defending T20 World Cup champions West Indies are a formidable team in the shortest format of the game.

West Indies are the only team to win the T20 World Cup twice. They won the tournament for the first time in 2012 before repeating the feat four years later. Both triumphs have come on Asian soil.

The T20 World Cup 2021 is a good opportunity for West Indies to bag their third title in the competition. The West Indies have a well-balanced team for the tournament. Here's a look at their squad for the T20 World Cup 2021:

Kieron Pollard (capt), Nicholas Pooran (vice-capt & wk), Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Roston Chase, Andre Fletcher (wk), Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr.

On that note, here is a detailed SWOT analysis of the West Indies squad for the T20 World Cup 2021:

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#1 Strength - Power hitters galore

Evin Lewis has two T20I centuries to his credit.

The West Windies batting line-up in the T20 format is a dangerous one. No total is big enough for them in the format.

To begin with, Evin Lewis has an incredible strike rate of 158.03 in 44 T20Is. He can take the game away from opponents very quickly, especially in the power-play overs. He has two T20I centuries and nine half-centuries in the format. His opening partner, Lendl Simmons, brings stability to the top of the order, and has a strike rate of 123.3 in 65 T20Is.

Chris Gayle is expected to bat at no.3 for the West Windies at the T20 World Cup 2021. He is a legend in T20Is, having scored 1854 runs in 70 innings at a strike rate of 139.19. He has scored two centuries and 14 half-centuries. Though he is not in the best of form, the 42-year-old Jamaican has time and again proved his prowess in the format.

Meanwhile, Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran are the pillars of the West Indies' middle order. The duo is yet to set the stage on fire in T20Is, but have created a huge impact in various T20 leagues around the globe. Hetmyer has a strike rate of 116.92 in 30 T20Is, whereas Pooran has a strike rate of 124.27 in 34 T20Is.

Kieron Pollard will play the role of a finisher at the T20 World Cup 2021.

The West Indian captain, Kieron Pollard, is one of the most feared strikers of the ball, especially in the death overs. He has an incredible strike rate of 137.94 in 71 T20Is, and is one of the finishers the Windies will be banking on at the T20 World Cup 2021.

Then there is the dangerous Andre Russell, who has a strike rate of 156.33 in 52 T20I innings and is capable of changing the course of games in a few overs. A fully fit Russell is a great asset for the West Indies in T20Is.

The West Indies lower order also has a few players who can play attacking shots from the get-go. Dwayne Bravo strikes at 115.73 in T20Is, while Fabian Allen has a strike rate of 138.89 in 21 T20Is.

To surmise, West Indies have power hitters galore who can destroy any bowling attack on their day.

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#2 Weakness - Inexperience of bowlers in subcontinent-like conditions

Obed McCoy is yet to play a T20I outside West Indies.

The West Indies bowlers chosen for the T20 World Cup 2021 do not have much experience of playing in subcontinent-like conditions. Obed McCoy is yet to play a T20I outside the West Indies, where he has played all 12 of his games in the format.

Ravi Rampaul has been recalled to the West Indies T20I team after almost six years. His last T20I was against Sri Lanka in 2015. Oshane Thomas has played just eight T20Is in the subcontinent, and has 11 wickets to his credit.

As far as their spinners are concerned, Roston Chase is yet to make his debut for West Indies in T20Is. Fabien Allen has played nine matches in the subcontinent, picking up eight wickets. Hayden Walsh Jr. has played five T20Is in India and two in the UAE, but has failed to create an impact.

The West Indies bowlers have performed well in home conditions, but are relatively inexperienced in subcontinent-like conditions.

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#3 Opportunities - Young players looking to create an impact

Nicholas Pooran is a handy wicketkeeper-batter.

Marlon Samuels played a key role for the West Windies in the middle order in their victorious 2012 and 2016 campaigns. In his absence this time, the likes of Hetmyer and Pooran will have to step up and create a mark on the international stage. Both Hetmyer and Pooran will look to make their presence felt in the T20I team for the West Windies, and repay the faith of the selectors.

Meanwhile, McCoy has had an incredible start to his T20I career. He has played all his games at home, and will look to create a mark on the big stage. The pitches in the UAE are likely to assist spinners. So the likes of Hayden Walsh Jr. and Fabien Allen will fancy their chances of replicating their domestic cricket and Caribbean Premier League performances on the big stage..

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#4 Threats - Tough group-stage opponents

West Indies beat England in the 2016 World T20 final at Eden Gardens

The defending champions will face tough competition in Group 1. Their first match is against England on 23rd October 2021. England have been playing exceptional T20I cricket in the last two years, and are currently placed atop the ICC T20I rankings.

After that, West Indies will square off against South Africa on 26th October 2021. South Africa, earlier this year, beat West Indies 3-2 in a five-match T20I series in the Caribbean.

They will also have to battle against Australia in Group 1 in a key game on 6th November 2021. Nevertheless, Winides have the team to go all the way, and are one of the favourites at the T20 World Cup.

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