ST. LUCIA: One could feel that there was some hope among the few who still care about cricket in this region during these few days of my journey through the West Indies. This perception was common to everybody, from a cab driver to a stranger in a bar to a fisherman taking you out for a trip on.
the sea, where everyone hoped that the West Indies would have an opportunity.
This is not the usual kind of very aggressive confidence like they rule planet earth but it is a bit of expectancy that may be seen as a start of regeneration of cricket within this area starting from this World Cup. But that did not happen.
West Indies played well at one time only to let their fans down completely during the final moments of their ‘Super 8s’ encounter with South Africa which can easily be seen as virtual quarterfinal.
“If things are hard man…you see, I don’t feel football team again (Barca). The way Barcelona plays now is not what it used to be before. I mean hoping we could have played you guys in semis or final, no such luck.” Gregory aged forty something wearing a Barcelona shirt while he stayed in small town called Soufriere near active volcano in Piton Mountains, St Lucia says.
West Indian cricket has been going downhill steadily over two decades and counting. National team’s poor performance hasn’t attracted generation next enough for them to fall deeply in love with it because they don’t win often enough even though failure to qualify for ODI World Cup last year was rock bottom. Yet, there is genuine affection for the game.
During famous Friday street party bars lined up along roadsides, Indians mixed with locals and danced Reggae while televisions shown live matches being held on former’s land.
Mr Dileep is an accountant by profession aged seventy plus most probably, and he had flown all the way over here with his family just so that they could have a cricket-related holiday in this beautiful island.
“Roy Fredericks was my personal favorite. My god…what a little man he was when playing against Dennis Lillee, we don’t have such kind of people anymore. However, we are still hopeful. That’s why we take leave from our places of work just to come and watch cricket,” Dileep says as he orders for another round of beer for ‘a new friend’.
This is why the locals were more optimistic in St. Lucia on account of the fact that it has been coached by their very own Darren Sammy who is also the sole St. Lucian national team captain ever.
“He lives right there by the squad. We all feel proud of him. Also, not far away there’s a sports school where he has put some effort too.” Terrol, who runs a bed and breakfast near Rodney Bay said yesterday.
A good performance at this T20 World Cup might have rekindled youth passion beyond “cheering for losing teams”. But during the course of this World Cup, West Indies did show glimpses and skipper Rovman Powell urged the fans not to turn their backs despite the soul-crunching defeat.
We were let down since we thought that we had the manpower within our room to actually win a home World Cup. However, be that as it may, we have played good cricket; entertained them in patches and it is just for them to keep on supporting us. How important support is in all things? Therefore, I would call for them to
continue working with us; continue supporting us over the past 12 months,” said Powell and revealed that there was first time when West Indies has been ranked No. 3 in the world at T20Is.
But will this help retain the fans who require that feeling of triumph to get through after a tough day at work? We shall find out.
