West Indies cricket needs introspection, action

West Indies captain Shai Hope. Pic/Instagram/@shaidhope

West Indies, the former kings of international cricket, find themselves in an embarrassing position again. The two-time ODI World Cup champions (1975, 1979) have now to play and do well in the Qualifier for next year's World Cup to be held in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The top-ranked eight teams will figure in the ICC-organised tournament held in that part of the world for the first time since 2003. The hosts qualify automatically.

According to Cricinfo, "The winner of the Qualifier, whose host is yet to be decided, will get direct entry to the second round of the 2027 World Cup, while the teams finishing second, third and fourth will play the first round called the Super Series. The top team from that tri-series will then proceed to the second round."

There is merit in saying that West Indies are in real danger of not being part of the ODI World Cup for the second time in a row.

Their hot and cold performances in Test match cricket and in the T20 format, where they have been champions twice, cannot be ignored. West Indies need to put everything in place to give themselves the best chance to meet their immediate goal, but the pursuit to get better needs to be relentless.

At Sir Garfield Sobers's recent funeral, batting great Brian Lara called for the start of the Garfield Sobers Initiative to give West Indies cricket a lift that would come to fruition in time for the deceased great's birth centenary in 2036. The world of cricket hopes that work on this will begin soon if it hasn't started already. Meanwhile, keep track of West Indies in the World Cup Qualifier.