New Delhi [India], July 16 : West Indies cricket plunged to a new low during the third Test against Australia at Kingston, where they were bowled out for just 27 runs, the second-lowest total in Test history. The dismal display has further highlighted the long-standing struggles of the once-mighty cricketing powerhouse.
The team's poor showing wasn't an isolated incident. West Indies have failed to find consistency throughout the World Test Championship (WTC) cycles, finishing eighth in all three editions. Their red-ball cricket has looked increasingly out of sync with the demands of the modern game, and their decline continues to hurt the global Test cricket ecosystem.
Adding to the concerning trend is the growing number of players prioritising franchise T20 cricket over international commitments. Nicholas Pooran, once seen as the future of Caribbean cricket, retired from international cricket at just 29, though he continues to shine in various T20 leagues across the globe.
Cricket legend Brian Lara has voiced his concern over the changing mindset among players on the Stick to Cricket podcast.
He said, "We played first-class cricket and some of us even played county cricket to try to get into the West Indies team. We are now using the WI as a stepping stone you know to, as a stage for us, to get contracts around (for franchise cricket circuit) and that is not a fault of the player you know..."
Lara's words reflect the stark contrast between past generations that aspired for Test greatness and the present crop, many of whom use international appearances as a launchpad for lucrative T20 opportunities.
The decline isn't limited to the longest format. Since winning the T20 World Cup in 2016, West Indies haven't clinched a major ICC title. Their failure to qualify for the 2023 ODI World Cup marked another blow, symbolising a system struggling to produce results across formats.
The cricketing world is beginning to see the imbalance that may be contributing to this downfall. Former England all-rounder David Lloyd pointed fingers at the structural inequalities in global cricket.
Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast, he said, "The big three (England, Australia and India), that can't be right that they take all the money, they get the big broadcast deals. You've got to have a more even distribution to allow West Indies, New Zealand, Sri Lanka to compete."