(Photo ICC)
The match against Australia was the last game for the West Indies at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 and I understand the players being a little dejected. Normally in a game like that, which is essentially a dead rubber, you get that lack of motivation.
But having said that, it’s a World Cup game. Many of those guys would have been playing their last World Cup game representing the West Indies and I expected a much better showing, given the fact that they will be signing off on the world stage.
It was a disappointing end to a disappointing campaign.
Chris Gayle is an absolute legend of the game, an iconic blockbuster performer over many, many years to have the kind of statistics that he does in T20 cricket.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have the type of tournament that he would have hoped for, that the fans would have hoped for. It was a disappointing campaign for him, and we know that it really hurt him.
He wanted to sign off on a high. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be, so he will be remembered for his greatness in T20 cricket, being the entertainer that he was, and really leading the way and setting the trend for the other players who were following in his footsteps.
Again, a disappointing tournament for Dwayne Bravo, a disappointing tournament for many of the players really, but another one of those trendsetters in the region, the first player to reach 500 T20 wickets.
Rashid Khan is perhaps the only other person who might get there but another icon of the game he has represented the region really well.
I know that one of his goals is to give back to the younger guys who are coming through, to pass on that knowledge and experience.
He’s already started in the West Indies set-up with some of the younger players I know – Obed McCoy is one.
That was one of the downfalls of this West Indies team not having a wicket-taker and a really attacking bowler, he would have filled that role quite well, so it was a big miss.
I think the experience of being there, understanding how massive a T20 World Cup is will serve him in good stead.
I think the baton has to be passed on to guys like Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran. Those two young players had a couple of good innings during this World Cup and we saw glimpses of what they are capable of now, and how special they can be in a couple of years’ time.
Akeal Hosein as a spinner did well in his debut World Cup, McCoy you only saw him in the one game but in the region we know of his ability.
There are quite a few young players who are coming through the ranks, they have big shoes to fill in the absence of Gayle and Bravo when Chris does call it a day.
There will be tremendous expectation on these young players coming through but I think they have the quality to fill those shoes quite satisfactorily.
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