'No Fire In Babylon': No West Indies in ODI World Cup for first time in history

Twotime champions West Indies will not be part of the upcoming ODI World Cup for the first time in the history of the tournament after crashing out of a Super Six match of the Qualifier a result that plunged countrys cricket to an unimaginable low on SaturdayComing into the doordie Super Six contest West Indies packed with some bonafide T20 superstars suffered an embarrassing sevenwicket defeat against Scotland after managing a modest 181 in 435 oversIt was an impressive show by the Scots especially by allrouder Brandon McMullen who first took three wickets and then scored a patient 69 off 106 balls to steer his side to a famous victorySuch was the West Indies plight that the top score was a painstaking 45 off 79 balls by Jason Holder Scotland chased own the target in just 433 overs ensuring that West Indies wont compete in the ODI World Cup for the first time since the inception of the tournament in 1975The World Cup is set begin in India on October 5 across 10 venues This was also Scotlands first victory over the West IndiesSuch a shame that West Indies wont be there at the World Cup Caribbean cricket has officially hit rock bottom But when you hit rock bottom only way is up WestIndies CWCQualifier pictwittercomrRHoQhynLJmdash Wasim Jaffer WasimJaffer14 July 1 2023What a shame West Indies fail to qualify for the World cup Just shows talent alone isnrsquot enough need focus and good man management free from politics The only solace is there isnrsquot further low to sink from here pictwittercomdAcs3uufNMmdash Virender Sehwag virendersehwag July 1 2023Clive Lloyds team had won the first two editions in 1975 and 1979 and played the 1983 final where it was beaten by IndiaMatthew Cross 74 not out off 107 balls anchored the chase perfectly and it always seemed one team would win and that certainly wasnt the West IndiesWith two more matches left even if West Indies win they can reach up to four points while Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe already have six points in their three gamesScotland with this win are on four points and would reckon that an upset can help them sneak into the tournamentproperAlso Read West Indies bow out of 2023 ODI World Cup after heartbreaking loss to ScotlandIt appears to be the final nail in the coffin for a cricket team that has been on a terminal decline for the past two decadesWhile they won two T20 World Cup titles in 2012 and 2016 the performance in two traditional formats Tests and ODIs have spiralled southwardsIronically West Indies were forced to play the qualifier before the 2019 World Cup also but eventually managed to finish in top two along with Afghanistan to save themselves from embarrassmentBut a team that had Nicholas Pooran a Rs 16 crore IPL recruit Jason Holder Kyle Mayers Alzarri Joseph Romario Shepherd Akeal Hossein all who were part of this editions IPL in its ranks this is certainly the lowest ebbPerhaps the performance is symptomatic of times which is very different from the 1970s when some of the wold class cricketers from Jamaica Barbados Guyana Antigua Trinidad amp Tobago came together and were the flagbearers of Black Caribbean Community which had been under oppression for the longest timeThe brilliant documentary Fire in Babylon showed what West Indies cricket meant it wasnt just flair fun and frolic but also a responsibility towards communityIt showed how the team came together after England captain Tony Greig commented before the 1976 series that he would make them grovel a derogatory term used for Black Community referring to slaveryMichael Holding spit fire at the Oval and Viv Richards scored a near triple hundredAlso Read Players should demand more money from India vs Pakistan ODI World Cup Chris GayleTheir brand of cricket helped them become world beaters in limited overs cricket first 60 overs and then 50 overs as most of their top players played in county or league cricket in EnglandBut call it a sign of times the fire has extinguished and in last decade has seen the emergence of highlyskilled T20 mercenaries or Gun for Hire as one can refer to them who havent exactly been bothered about the national cricket teams benefitPerhaps the concept of multiple nations playing under one flag is flawed in todays day and ageWhat has also adversely contributed is the riches that accompanies T20 cricket caravan wherever it sets its base The leagues have made it virtually impossible to have a quality West Indies team that is proud of wearing the iconic maroon jerseyCall it an irony that during the tournament in Zimbabwe the man who donned coachs hat was none other than last global trophy winning skipper Darren Sammywhose heart still bleeds for the West IndiesIn the commentary box was Carlos Brathwaite who hit those four incredible sixes on that fateful night in Kolkata seven seasons back to win the 2016 T20 World Cup for the Caribbean sideThe Richards the Lloyds the Holdings the Roberts the Garners their legacy lay in tatters scattered across the lush green turf of Harare Sports Club ground on July 1The Kieron Pollards Dwayne Bravos Andre Russells Sunil Narines have time and again refused to play for the West Indies as international cricket couldnt have secured a future that they aspired for their families So West Indies cricket lived in a comatose stateOn Saturday Scotland just removed the patient from ventilatorWest Indies cricket is dead Long Live West Indies cricketWith PTI inputs