Published: Apr 03, 2016, 04:48 PM (IST)
Edited: Apr 03, 2016, 04:48 PM (IST)
I am not sure many people would have predicted a West Indies versus England final before World T20 2016 started. I know for a fact that I did not, because as I wrote in my last article, I did not pick England to make even the semi-finals. But after their loss to the West Indies in the first game, England have lifted themselves and played with natural freedom, and are deserving entrants into the title round. Full Cricket Score: England vs West Indies, T20 World Cup 2016, Final at Kolkata
England’s presence in the final, I believe, is a triumph of the system, in direct contrast to the case with West Indies. A quantum change in mindset was required after the ICC World Cup 2015, where England did not even reach the quarter-final being too stilted and strait-jacketed in their approach. England are now playing with a freedom that this format in particular demands. It is a triumph of the system also that they have identified the right kind of batsmen that will produce the goods in the 20-over game. The fearlessness of their top order has been a pleasant surprise; not many English teams have been known for their collective flamboyance.
I think the roles of Andrew Strauss, Trevor Bayliss and Eoin Morgan have been crucial to England’s progress as a Twenty20 outfit. As Director of Cricket, Strauss has convinced ECB to revisit their thinking about the 20-over game, and that has to be interpreted as a massive success. Coach Bayliss and captain Morgan have given the players the freedom to go out and have fun, to enjoy and express themselves. The players have bought into that idea with tremendous zeal, and that is evident from the manner in which they have clicked collectively, more as a batting unit and to some extent as a bowling unit.
I cannot recall another England team with the kind of explosive batting Morgan has under his command. But while it is one thing to have the riches, it is quite another to bring the best returns of them. That is where Bayliss and Morgan must get a lot of credit. They have taken the fear of failure out of the batsmen, have instilled in them the confidence to go out and play their strokes. Armed with the license to give vent to their talent, the batsmen have blossomed. I do not think I will be wrong in saying that at various stages, they have instilled a certain amount of fear in the opposition, which I do not think many of us have said too often of an English batting line-up!
West Indies, of course, possess a line-up so packed with power that they can get away with not being electric between the wickets. I believe especially when it comes to 20-over cricket, they are a very smart and savvy side that knows exactly what needs to be done in specific situations. While it is easy to think of them as only a big-hitting team, they have great tactical nous in this version, which explains their wonderful consistency in a format that is as fickle as the English weather.
For West Indies, like I mentioned earlier, this entry into the final alone already is a victory against all odds. A lot of us take things for granted, we have several grievances to address, but as a professional sportsperson, financial security is a must and you do not want to keep going back to the bargaining table time after time. To be able to go out and still play in the manner in which they have done speaks volumes of their determination and their desire to put a smile on the face of the Caribbean people.
Plenty has been said about the decline of Caribbean cricket, and the dramatic fall from the glory days of the 1980s and 1990s. That is a development we cannot overlook, particularly in the Test arena, but there have been plenty of glad tidings already this season. Their Under-19 team provided the first spark of delight with their title triumph in the World Cup in Bangladesh, and in this tournament, both the men and the women have made it to the final. That is a fabulous accomplishment, and while it does not necessarily mean that it is the turnaround West Indies cricket has been hoping for, I am sure this can be a stepping stone for greater things to come.
A lot of the current West Indian players are in their 30s and may not be around for the next World T20, which is an added incentive to give it their all one final time. There has been a perception that West Indies are heavily reliant on Chris Gayle, so against that backdrop, it was great to see Johnson Charles, Lendl Simmons and Andre Russell play key roles in the win against India in the semi-final. The entire Wankhede was rooting for India but West Indies held their own admirably; by the end, I could see that no Indian fan grudged West Indies the victory, and that alone shows how the cricket world celebrates a winning, joyous West Indian team.
I know that apart from the Englishmen, every cricket fan in the world must be rooting for Darren Sammy’s men in the final. Sammy was a wonderful presence in the Sunrisers Hyderabad dressing room, and he is an excellent leader of men. It will be fitting if he becomes the first leader ever to lift the World T20 crown twice.
(VVS Laxman, CricketCountry’s Chief Cricket Mentor, remains one of the finest and most elegant batsmen in history. He was part of the iconic Indian middle-order for over a decade and a half and played 134 Tests and 86 ODIs. He tweets at @vvslaxman281)
