The return of the Calypso Flair

Once the invincible World champions and now the also-ran. The fall of the West Indies cricket from the heights of the glory days of 70s and 80s is well documented. Several controversies and issues between the board and the players meant that cricket in the Caribbeans was pushed back by several decades. Though the talent and the flair kept coming through the ranks, as a team the Windies failed to make any sort of impact on world cricket.

While making it back to the helm in test cricket seems a distant reality, the West Indies have a squad which can make them the team to beat in the shortest format of the game. With the West Indian team about to start their limited overs series in England in the run up to the twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka, we take a look at some of the factors that can make them the Kings again – albeit in the shortest version.

1. The Return of the T-20 W.G Grace

Nearly 4000 runs in 107 T-20 games with the help of 8 centuries. Chris Gayle, who has home teams in five different countries now, is by far the most successful and feared batsman in the slam bang version of the game. After slamming the first ever T-20 international hundred against South Africa, the aggressive left hander has taken to the shortest format like fish to water. He hasn’t played for the West Indies since the 2011 World Cup due to his disputes with the West Indies Cricket Board but now the issues are resolved and the Gayle storm is ready to hit the Lankan shores come September.

2. An army of all rounders

The quick nature of twenty20 cricket is such that it encourages the multifaceted cricketers who benefit the team in more than one way. In Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels and skipper Darren Sammy, the Windies squad has no dearth of such impact players who are not only adept at hitting the ball a long way but can also contribute for their team with useful spells as well. Each of them have gained the reputation of being a twenty20 specialist and their performance, especially towards the business end of the tournament will be of vital importance.

3. The Pace battery

The current pace attack is not even a shadow of the former Caribbean fast men but it still has enough bite to cause early damage to the opposition. In Fidel Edwards, Kemar Roach and the newly reformed Tino Best, they have men who are capable of setting the speed gun on fire. But the leader of the pack will undoubtedly be the versatile Ravi Rampaul. He might be several yards slower but with his past performances in the subcontinent he has shown that he has enough variations up his sleeve and can be equally effective with both the new and old ball.

4. The Mystery Man

While the attack looks good on the pace front, on the slow Sri Lankan tracks it is the spinners who will play a decisive role and the West Indies probably have the most potent weapon of the tournament on their ranks – Sunil Narine. The wily Trinidadian recently spun his franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to their maiden IPL triumph and even the best players of spin bowling found it really tough to read him. Apart from the ability to turn the ball both ways with the same action, his control over his line and length has been exemplary. It will be interesting to see if he can continue to weave his magic in the international arena or if he’ll end up as a one season wonder.

Though only a brave man will put his money on the West Indian team for the upcoming T-20 World Cup, the above stated factors surely seem to suggest that they will be a force to reckon with. All they need to do is make proper use of the talent at their disposal and channel their energies in the correct direction. While even a triumph in Sri Lanka will be nothing as compared to the success the former Caribbean greats achieved, it will certainly be a good start on the road to redemption.