PTI

Harare, July 1

The West Indies won’t be a part of the ODI World Cup for the primary time within the historical past of the event after being eradicated from the Qualifiers – a end result that plunged nation’s cricket to an unimaginable low, on Saturday.

Coming into the do-or-die Super Six contest, West Indies, filled with some bona-fide T20 superstars, suffered an embarrassing seven-wicket defeat towards Scotland after managing a modest 181 in 43.5 overs.

It was a powerful present by the Scots, particularly by all-rounder Brandon McMullen, who first took three wickets, after which scored a affected person 69 off 106 balls to steer his aspect to a well-known victory.

Such was the West Indies’ plight that the highest rating was a painstaking 45 off 79 balls by Jason Holder.

Scotland chased personal the goal in simply 43.3 overs, making certain that West Indies received’t compete within the ODI World Cup for the primary time for the reason that inception of the event in 1975.

The World Cup is about start in India on October 5 throughout 10 venues.

This was additionally Scotland’s first victory over the West Indies.

Clive Lloyd’s group had received the primary two editions in 1975 and 1979 and performed the 1983 closing, the place it was overwhelmed by India.

Matthew Cross (74 not out off 107 balls) anchored the chase completely and it all the time appeared one group would win and that definitely wasn’t the West Indies.

With two extra matches left, even when West Indies win, they will attain as much as 4 factors whereas Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe have already got six factors of their three video games.

Scotland with this win are on 4 factors and would reckon that an upset will help them sneak into the tournament-proper.

It seems to be the ultimate nail within the coffin for a cricket group that has been on a terminal decline for the previous 20 years.

While they received two T20 World Cup titles in 2012 and 2016, the efficiency in two conventional codecs—Tests and ODIs have spiralled southwards.

Ironically, West Indies had been pressured to play the qualifier earlier than the 2019 World Cup additionally however finally managed to complete in high two together with Afghanistan to avoid wasting themselves from embarrassment.

But a group that had Nicholas Pooran, a Rs 16 crore IPL recruit, Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers, Alzarri Joseph, Romario Shepherd, Akeal Hossein, all who had been a part of this version’s IPL, in its ranks, that is definitely the bottom ebb.

Perhaps the efficiency is symptomatic of occasions which may be very totally different from the Seventies when among the wold class cricketers from Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana, Antigua, Trinidad & Tobago got here collectively and had been the flag-bearers of ‘Black Caribbean Community’ which had been underneath oppression for the longest time.

The sensible documentary ‘Fire in Babylon’ confirmed what West Indies cricket meant, it wasn’t simply aptitude, enjoyable and frolic but additionally a accountability in the direction of neighborhood.

It confirmed how the group got here collectively after England captain Tony Greig commented earlier than the 1976 sequence that he would make them ‘grovel’, a derogatory time period used for ‘Black Community’ referring to slavery.

Michael Holding spit hearth on the Oval and Viv Richards scored a close to triple hundred.

Their model of cricket helped them turn out to be world beaters in restricted overs cricket, first 60 overs after which 50 overs as most of their high gamers performed in county or league cricket in England.

But name it an indication of occasions, the fireplace has extinguished and in final decade has seen the emergence of highly-skilled T20 mercenaries or Gun for Hire as one can discuss with them, who haven’t precisely been bothered concerning the nationwide cricket group’s profit.

Perhaps the idea of a number of nations, taking part in underneath one flag is flawed in right now’s day and age.

What has additionally adversely contributed is the riches that accompanies T20 cricket caravan wherever it units its base. The leagues have made it nearly not possible to have a top quality West Indies group that’s happy with carrying the long-lasting maroon jersey.

Call it an irony that in the course of the event in Zimbabwe, the person who donned coach’s hat was none apart from final international trophy profitable skipper Darren Sammy, whose coronary heart nonetheless bleeds for the West Indies.

In the commentary field was Carlos Brathwaite, who hit these 4 unimaginable sixes on that fateful evening in Kolkata, seven seasons again to win the 2016 T20 World Cup for the Caribbean aspect.

The Richards, the Lloyds, the Holdings, the Roberts, the Garners, their legacy lay in tatters, scattered throughout the luxurious inexperienced turf of Harare Sports Club floor on July 1.

The Kieron Pollards, Dwayne Bravos, Andre Russells, Sunil Narines have again and again refused to play for the West Indies as worldwide cricket couldn’t have secured a future that they aspired for his or her households. So West Indies cricket lived in a comatose state.

On Saturday, Scotland simply eliminated the ‘patient’ from ventilator.

West Indies cricket is useless. Long Live West Indies cricket.

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