The demise of West Indies cricket especially in the longest version has been said and documented very well, and it needs no more elaboration. While the Calypso boys have been undisputed leaders in the shortest format, their submissive traits in Test cricket has only grown over the years, so much so that is no longer surprising for anyone concerned.
Even in the ongoing series against India, the fragility of the West Indian team has been on display, and never has it looked as if the hosts stand any chance of arresting the slide. Their feeble approach is without a doubt a crying shame for all cricket fans around the globe.
However, not everything is lost for the hosts, and they gave glimpses of their ability and steel during the 2nd and 3rd days of the second Test match, and the fact that they were still willing to fight it out was a heartening sight indeed.
Here in this list, we take a look at 5 players from the current West Indies team who can serve the team for a long time in the future.
#1 Kraigg Brathwaite
Amidst all the flashy stroke play and all the colour, Kraigg Brathwaite seems like a batsman from prehistoric times, as his game is based on resolute defence and stodgy defiant approach. He has looked relatively secure but has not been able to convert his starts into meaningful scores.
While the ability to churn out scores is a parameter to judge the ability of a batsman, there is no denying the potential and ability of Brathwaite and thus the selectors should be patient with him and give him a long rope. The fact that he is the vice-captain of the team suggests that the team management is thinking along the same lines.
Also, Brathwaite is a handy off-spinner, and he should ideally work on it, as it will give the West Indies a potent all-round weapon in the years to come.
#2 Roston Chase
Should the performance in one innings be the yardstick to judge a particular player, many will say no, but then if the performance has steel attached to it, there is bound to be expectations from the player.
Roston Chase, the West Indies all-rounder dished out one such performance when he picked up his maiden five-wicket haul in India's first innings during the second Test match. Chase was included in the Test side after he was one of the top performers in the domestic games, where he was the fourth highest run-scorer with 710 runs with an average of 59.16. Thus, his bowling performance was all the more heartening.
He believes that he is primarily a batsman who can bowl, and hence his performance with the ball augurs well for the Caribbean team in the near future.
#3 Shane Dowrich
The diminutive wicket-keeper has been an absolute joy to watch behind the stumps, and the sight of him flinging himself to collect the ball has evoked comparisons with Jeffrey Dujon.
Also, apart from his keeping, Dowrich looked the most settled batsman in the first Test match in Antigua where he gritted out 57 in the first innings and looked the most assured batsmen in the team. He played the spinners with ease and his nifty footwork was certainly a joy to the eyes.
He is a capable batsman as can be gauged by his 2014-15 domestic season in which he scored 615 runs in ten matches in the four-day regional tournament with an impressive of 51.25.
If the promise shown can be realised, he can certainly be a bright prospect for the West Indies in the near future.
#4 Jermaine Blackwood
A pair in the first Test match put into bat on a lively pitch in the second match, and then responding with a run-a-ball 62, this has been Blackwood's series so far. His innings in the first innings of the second Test match was a testament to the unflappable temperament of Jermaine Blackwood, and one can safely say that if he digs in and puts his mind into a Test innings, there is no reason why he cannot be one of the pillars of West Indies batting in the years to come.
Blackwood has been among West Indies' brightest emerging talents over the past 18-20 months, and there is little doubt over his stroke-making, and the man himself is aware that he has to spend more time in the crease in order to score runs on a consistent basis.
#5 Shannon Gabriel
One of the reasons why West Indies cricket has declined over the years has been the lack of fast bowlers in the islands, and the once fast bowling factory has been bereft of any genuine fast, nasty wicket-taking bowlers.
Shannon Gabriel thus has emerged as a whiff of fresh air, and only if chances created could reflect in the bowling figures, Gabriel would have been head and shoulders above the rest of the bowlers in this series.
The Trinidad and Tobago man has managed to extract pace and bounce off the surface and has kept the Indian batsmen honest in all the 3 innings so far in the Test series. However, he has a fragile body and needs to be monitored regularly and has to be managed with prudence by the team management.
There is absolutely no reason why, Gabriel cannot be the leader of the attack in the years to come, and one only hopes that he stays fit and picks up more wickets, which will only justify his abilities.
Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download CricRocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more! 🚀☄️
