Published: Apr 04, 2016, 09:01 AM (IST)
Edited: Apr 04, 2016, 09:01 AM (IST)
The list is long. West Indies’ cricketers did not have contracts in place as the T20 World Cup 2016 approached, and little did the world know that their team uniforms were not even in place! Critics doubted them, and experts never gave them enough respect by even considering them as favourites — despite West Indies having been a semi-finalists the last time (in 2014), and winner in the edition before that. But beating all odds, Sammy and company emerged not only as deserving champion of T20 World Cup 2016, but as the only side who could have beaten all odds to achieve the feat. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: England vs West Indies, ICC World T20 2016, Final at Kolkata
And that too in style: while chasing, teams keep succumbing to pressure every now and then in cricket across the globe and in different formats. Rarely do we get to hear stories of heroes emerging out of nowhere, hitting 4 sixes in as many balls, leading their teams to glory. What Carlos Brathwaite did on Sunday night in Kolkata was not a usual aspect one gets to see in international cricket, and to see that happening in a T20 World Cup final was definitely rarest.
West Indies generally remain in tatters throughout the year. They are received with the a lot of fanfare wherever they go to play cricket — be it in the various T20 cricket leagues or be it the international fixtures. But that is that.
The world bemoaned another controversy that hit West Indies cricket before ICC World T20 2016. The contract crisis was particularly the lovers of the sport were not interested in, and when West Indies finally reached India arriving at a solution with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), there was surely no particular interest among the cricket fans that finally the drama was over and it was time for cricket. READ: ICC T20 World Cup 2016, Women’s World T20, Under-19 World Cup should help galvanise West Indies cricket
Time for cricket.
West Indies lost to India in their warm-up match. And that was not surprising. They came into the match with a wide grin on their faces and walked off with a loss with the same expression. Nothing had changed, almost nothing.
But then, along the way, West Indies were found themselves in all sorts of troupes — ones that demanded them to either perform or perish. To be either bloody good or be atrocious. It would have been easier to choose the second option. That’s what had been the story in general.
Whatever the world reckoned of Sammy and his men, they were unhappy about it. West Indies took offense on how WICB treated them, on what Mark Nicholas wrote about them, and what the critics felt in general. Seldom do they take things at heart, but if at all they do, West Indies turn into a monster which no one can tame.
They crushed England, South Africa and Sri Lanka. They lost to Afghanistan and joined them in the celebrations. West Indies’ hearts were big enough to laugh at their own shortcomings and failures. These were the signs of the rise of a champion side. But no, the cruel world wasn’t noticing them. Virat Kohli, India, New Zealand and Pakistan had enough in them to keep everyone hooked.
West Indies were noticed only when Lendl Simmons got off the flight and smashed Indian bowlers on a poor pitch at Wankhede. West Indies were noticed only after they eliminated India. That was not how it was meant to be: West Indies were not meant to win this World T20. India were. READ: England vs West Indies, ICC T20 World Cup 2016 Final: Highlights
But Sammy and his men kept pushing. They pushed enough to take three English wickets first up when the final began, while people were still settling down in their seats. They pushed themselves enough to limit England to a below-par score.
England were the only side that tested West Indies to an extent no one had done. England began with three West Indian wickets, and it looked like the men from the Caribbean will give up.
But no, among the talented men they have in the ranks is Marlon Samuels, who claims to have stepped up on every single occasion for his team in tournament finals. Samuels and Dwayne Bravo keep West Indies on track, if not ahead of England on an easy wicket and small target. But, boundaries dry up and West Indies refuse to convert ones in twos. Even the easy twos are reduced to ones.
West Indies make a mountain out of a mole.
West Indies lose Bravo, Russell and Sammy in quick succession. They have their backs on the wall. All of a sudden they look like losing this one out to England. But then, emerges Brathwaite, a burly lad who hits 4 sixes on the trot to win the World Cup for his team. Four sixes in four balls!
West Indies are not the smartest of cricketers: they make merry as long as the format is T20, and turn into ordinary and even lesser when the number of overs are increased. But they know they are at their marauding best in T20s, and no one can match them. Some can’t even come closure. And if England think they were close, those 4 sixes off 4 balls proved how huge the chasm between the two sides was.
(Devarchit Varma is senior writer with CricketCountry. He can be followed on Twitter @Devarchit)
