Wind taken out of the sails of the Windies

As I write this blog SA have won the toss and decided to bat and are 48-0 in 9 overs.

While I grew up even though WI were past their best and most feared team in the world status even about 10 years ago such scorelines were hard to imagine. I remember the WI batsmen as great back foot players ppl who would drive off the back foot since it gave them more time and also a chance to get under the ball to balls which were well pitched up. Richardson,Hooper, Simmons, Jimmy Adams are some names that come to mind. In fact from what I have read I like them even more...the best over ever bowled in test cricket by Holding to Boycott or the great spell by Andy Roberts in Chennai's chepauk stadium where Vishy scored an excellent 90 odd...Their greatness is testified by the fact that most batsmens would rate thier best innings whenever they scored well against Garner, Holding, Croft and Marshall.

Even though the present Windies team have a good line up in terms of batting with Hinds,Gayle,Sarwan,Lara C'Paul and Bravo its the bowling thats pathetic.

The enduring sight of the Windies to me will remain the 1994 test match. I think it was in Barbados where Waugh kept staring at Ambrose who was bowling an unplayable spell and kept beating Steves bat....Richardson had to literally drag him away to avoid him beating up Steve....Steve looked a midget in front of him..that was the sort of passion that they used to play with...
Walsh though less agressive was a bowler with a McGrath like accuracy and could work out a batsmen beautifully remember his spell in Mohali where he bowled them to a victory and broke Prabhakars nose in the bargain :)
But todays bowlers are really no good...no accuracy..no real pace though fridel edwards has a bit but again no control..they are very harmless and lack any sort of penetration....As Geoffrey would say "Even my mum could score a 100 against them"....

Also what does not help them is the sort of dead pitches that they have started preparing...previously batsmen would look to a WI tour with some sort of trepidation since they would cop a few but now they lick their lips in anticipation of the flat pitches and the club level bowlers they will be facing...

All this is very sad to see since anyone who has watched the WI team of yore will know...Just spare a thought for what Lara or C'Paul would be feeling...Lara is the best batsman on the earth his 176 and 196 were the knocks of the season so far only to end up on the losing side each time...C'Paul another batsman with a lot of toughness having a fine record and yet losing time and again...

They must be feeling the nails in the coffin each time they have to play with the other team ammassing 600 odd runs or when they score 400 the other team getting free runs because of some wayward bowling....

And it seems that the WI are where England were about 4 years back but England always had a great county cricket frame work which meant that you would come across some one good player sooner rather than later..not so sure abt WI...I cant see them producing the Flintoffs or the Vaughans unless they become more professional in their play on the field..the youngsters not throwing their wicket away the bowlers bowling accurately if not incisively...

As Lara and C'Paul would tell ya Cricket can be a very cruel game sometimes.