I have grown up watching the might of West Indies. The kind
of aura they used to trigger while playing was so effective that they scripted
the results before the match had started. Whether with the bat or with the
ball, they were merciless. Their batsmen used to beat the bowlers with a rare
disdain to leave them clueless, while their bowlers scripted terror to put
shivers down the opposition batsmen's spine. West Indies of the late 70's and
80's were the undisputed champions of world cricket. They were the 'Wonder
Windies'.
But as time progressed, Caribbean cricket had started to
lose its brightness. West Indian batsmen didn't spread the magic of the past
and their bowlers didn't pose any threat. In the course of time, West Indian
cricket had hit rock bottom. Whether in a home series or in an away series
heavy defeats were always on the cards for once mighty West Indies. And petty
quarrels with the players and the cricket board made the West Indies a sorry
figure in world cricket. For almost two decades the world has almost forgotten
the Calypso music.
But it seems things have started to change for West Indies.
It seems that Caribbean cricket is likely to turn around again after suffering
an ugly transition. In the recent series against New Zealand the world
witnessed the West Indian players in a different mood. They dished out
inspiring performances on a consistent basis to outclass the Kiwis in grand
style and torched the light of hope amongst their fans.
The end of the dispute between Chris Gayle and the WICB has
done a world of good for the Caribbean. Gayle's injection in the side has given
an ideal balance to the side while the reincarnation of Marlon Samuels has
boosted morale immensely. Youngsters like Sunil Narine, Narsingh Deonarine,
Kieron Pollard, Darren Bravo, Adrian Barath and Andre Russell provide the
flavor of youthful exuberance while Kemar Roach, Tino Best and Co have started
to bowl with raw pace and ferocious intensity to rekindle the glory of the
past. Their captain Darren Sammy, though under-rated, is doing a fantastic job
to keep things organized to maintain the harmony of the team.
This West Indies team has the talent, power, grace, skill
and inner-fire to rule the rooster in world cricket again. But the big question
is - can they live up to their potential? Can they produce performances on a
regular basis? Does West Indies realize their potential?
To produce results on a consistent basis a team's players
must realize their own potential very well. Until and unless self-realization
doesn't come within a team they can't script results consistently. For almost
two decades the once rulers of world cricket failed to maintain their authority
due to lack of consistency in their performance and the culprit had been their
inability to realize their own potentials. The talent was there but they just
didn't realize it, they didn't know how to use them. The tussle between the
WICB and its players also existed during the reign of Lloyd and Richards, but
still their team used to win on a regular basis only because of the use of the
use players' talents according to their merit - they had the self-realization
about their own potentials and knew how to use them.
So, if Sammy and his men wish to switch on the Calypso music
again and make the world dance then it is very important that they use their
potential fully.
The encouraging victory over New Zealand might turn into
another distant memory if the West Indians don't hit the target on a consistent
basis and for which self-realization is a must, as when self-realization is
achieved no bigger a calamity can stop further progress.
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
Note: The article has been published in CricketNext.comon 7/09/2012
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