West Indies a big miss at Champions Trophy

AS THE seventh edition of Champions Trophy gets under way on Thursday, fans all over will surely miss the West Indies.

The 2004 champions failed to make the cut as they were not among the top eight One-Day International (ODI) teams as per International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings on the cut off date of September 30, 2015, with Bangladesh edging them out. 

And for the first time since the tournament  started in 1998, the Calypso brigade will not be seen in action.

So far, they have been part of cricket’s all three major limited-overs events — the 50-overs World Cup, Champions Trophy and Twenty20 World Cup.

Incidentally, they are one of only three teams other than India and Sri Lanka to have captured all three titles — the 50-over World Cup in 1975 and 1979, the Champions Trophy in 2004 and the Twenty20 World Cup in 2012 and 2016.

The flair and entertainment that the Caribbeans offer— be it with their big hitting or eye-catching celebrations  or colourful hairdos — will be missed in England for sure. 

Once the most dominant forces in world cricket, the West Indies have struggled in recent years and rows over player contracts have not helped their cause.

The fallen idols also risk missing September 30, cut for automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup, and taking their chances in qualifying alongside the likes of Afghanistan and Ireland.

However, former Australian batsman Stuart Law, who currently coaches the West Indies side, believes it is a matter of time before they regain their past glory.

“I’m confident that these young guys have something that burns inside and that’s the game of cricket. They’re down at the moment, but they’ll come back. If we work hard enough, we’ll have good times ahead,” said Law. dsp