Death and taxes are two of the universally accepted certainties of life, In recent times, however, ‘never a dull moment’ like developments in West Indies cricket seem to have also long since become a third such certainty!
Just within the past week there have been no less than four major developments which have since left the globally existing millions of West Indies cricket fans in varying states of mental reaction. The first, the rubber stamped unopposed second term reelection of Cricket West Indies (CWI) incumbent President Dr. Kishore Shallow and Vice President Azim Bassarath might have caused a jury’s still out on their actual effectiveness reaction.
Secondly, CWI’s reported plans to celebrate this year’s 50th Anniversary of the West Indies’ historic 1975 Inaugural International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup victory would have been met with instant jubilation among all West Indies cricket fans. Many of those very same fans would, however, have been totally surprised by the most recent announcement of Kraigg Brathwaite’s resignation from the West Indies Test captaincy, and as equally divided in their reaction to the simultaneous indication of Shai Hope having replaced Rovman Powell as the T20 captain.
Four increasingly interesting developments indeed. Each of which can now be examined individually.
Will a Kishore Shallow- Azim Bassarath second term, as CWI’s President and Vice President respectively, be any more effective than their first? For starters it will certainly be a full year longer! CWI’s tenure terms for its highest positions having been constitutionally changed from two years to three. Long enough this time around for Dr Shallow in particular to revisit his 2023 Pushing The Boundaries CWI Presidential Campaign Manifesto to address and, hopefully fulfill, some if not all of the as yet unfulfilled grandiose promises that were made therein!
CWI having hosted a high-level symposium on the issues affecting West Indies cricket, attended as its was by such dignitaries as the Prime Ministers of Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago: Mia Mottley and Dr Keith Rowley respectively, the latter as host, was certainly one of the most welcomed highlights of the Shallow-Bassarath first term. Conversely, the clearly evident failure to actually manifest any really meaningfully active involvement in West Indies cricket’s further development by any of the great former players would have been likely viewed as one of the biggest disappointments!
The Dr Shallow led CWI has indeed failed to fulfill its promise for some of the still active great former players to serve as structured mentors to the current crop of West Indies cricketers. The majority of whom are clearly, most desperately, in need of guidance as to how best to fully maximize the potential of their obvious talents to the standards required for consistent, career long success in contemporary international cricket.
As perhaps the very first of its major second term developments, however, the Shallow-led CWI’s recently announced plans to celebrate this year’s 50th Anniversary of the West Indies historic 1975 ICC World Cup triumph will certainly be joyously welcomed by all Caribbean cricket fans. CWI’s reported plans are to honor the still surviving members of the victorious 1975 World Cup squad at a ceremony which will be held in Barbados on the eve of Kensington Oval hosted first Test for this year’s forthcoming 2025 West Indies – Australia three match series.
West Indies were represented at that Inaugural 1975 ICC World Cup by a fourteen-member squad. Captained by Clive Lloyd, managed by Clyde Walcott and consisting of Keith Boyce, Maurice Foster, Roy Fredericks, Lance Gibbs, Gordon Greenidge, Vanburn Holder, Bernard Julien, Alvin Kallicharran, Rohan Kanhai, Collis King, Deryck Murray, Viv Richards, and Andy Roberts.
Of those Boyce and Fredericks have both sadly passed. Leaving twelve who are now still among us and most worthy of being so honored.
As it develops its 1975 World Cup Anniversary plans CWI must, however, also include Joseph “Reds” Perreira among those to honored. Reds who will this coming May 20, 2025b be God Willing celebrating his 86th Birthday, holds the unique distinction of being the only still surviving member of the two-man panel of Caribbean commentators who were among those providing radio commentary for the 1975 World Cup and particularly its dramatic West Indies’ triumphant final. The since departed Tony Cozier was the only other Caribbean-born member of an illustrious radio commentary panel that also included England’s John Arlott and Brian Johnson, as well as Australia’s Allan McGilvray.
Reds’ radio cricket commentary participation in the 1975 World Cup is, therefore, just as deserving to be recognized, honored and celebrated as that of the victorious West Indies team. Hopefully, CWI will be in sufficient agreement of that reality as to also include him among those to honored.
As reported, those celebrations have now been scheduled to be held on the eve of the Kensington Oval West Indies – Australia first Test. A match which will also be the first for a newly appointed West Indies Test captain, following the somewhat surprising announcement by Barbados-born Kraigg Brathwaite of his decision to relinquish his previously held captaincy.
Brathwaite’s largely unexpected announcement has since caused rampant speculation and discussion among all West Indies cricket fans as to who his replacement should be. That decision will, however, be made solely by Daren Sammy as the current West Indies sole Selector and all-formats Head Coach. To be subsequently approved by the CWI Executive Board, of course.
In making his decision Sammy will, hopefully, be guided by the three universally recognized and accepted requirements of cricket captaincy. Whether it be for Tests or any of the game’s two other currently existing formats.
Those being a) for the chosen individual’s inclusion on the team as a player to be fully merited beyond any dispute whatsoever; b) for the said individual to be in full possession of the required tactical cricketing knowledge that will allow for the very best captaincy decision making both on and off the field, and finally c) f0r the chosen person to also be in sufficient possession of the required leadership skills. Those which will consistently inspire the remaining team members to always give of their very best in full support of their chosen leader.
Sammy’s job against the backdrop of such collectively strenuous requirements will not be at all easy. Arguably, none of those whose names have since been suggested as likely or worthy contenders are currently in full possession of all three! With the forthcoming Aussie home series heralding the start of a new two-year 2025-2027 ICC Test Championship cycle and the 100th Anniversary of the West Indies participation in cricket’s most reassured format to follow just a year later in 2028, Sammy’s eventual decision might well be based on who he thinks would be the very best candidate to lead the West Indies during such an important phase of its illustrious cricket history.
One person who will, however, now no longer be involved in the captaincy role for the West Indies team, during its similarly important build up to the next ICC t20 World Cup, is Jamaica’s Rovman Powell. Stripped as he has been of the captaincy in favor of Barbados’ Shai Hope as his replacement.
Powell led the West Indies to a much improved third place in the current ICC T20 team rankings, from the dismal eight position it held when he was first appointed as captain. His having been fired from the position has, therefore, been regarded as highly controversial and unwarranted by some West Indies cricket fans and followers. Including the former captain and world-famous all-rounder Dwayne Bravo.
While Powell’s results as captain may have been highly commendable, as evidenced by the ranking progression, his personal performances as a member of the team have noy always been sufficiently consistent. Head Coach Sammy’s governing desire to chose the very best possible playing eleven for the West Indies in its quest to be championship title victorious at the next ICC T20 World Cup might, therefore, have been the underlying cause for him to have chosen Shai Hope to preplace Powell as captain.
If the T20 World Cup was being held today, instead of next year 2026 as scheduled, few would argue that the West Indies very best top six batters for its playing eleven should consist of Erin Lewis, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran, Shai Hope, Sherfayne Rutherford and Shirmron Hetmyer. No place for Powell, hence his understandable exclusion and captaincy replacement.
Still somewhat controversial perhaps. Far less debatable though as yet further evidence of the continuing reality that in contemporary West Indies cricket there is indeed ‘never a dull moment!’