West Indies in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Marks out of 10

West Indies, the former two-time world champions of the inaugural two editions were knocked out of the of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, following a hefty 149-run defeat against New Zealand in the quarter-final. Ayush Gupta takes a look at their journey and rates the individual player performance.

The four teams that have qualified for the semi-final round of the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 have a tough task ahead to qualify for the final, and battle it out till the end. However, it must not be forgotten that apart from the four, 10 other teams were in contention as well in the preliminary stages. While some proved their worthiness to qualify for the mega event, other teams such as Sri Lanka, West Indies, Bangladesh and Pakistan gave tough fight to their opponents. However, they were not that good to move on to the next round.

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West Indies is one such team, which is undoubtedly, one of the major powerhouses in world cricket. Although, they lack the same magic that they used to possess, they still just can’t be written off given the firepower they have.  Having qualified for the quarter-finals on a shaky note, the Caribbean team couldn’t prove itself to be worthy for the next round. Nevertheless, the team involves quite a lot of star players recognised all over the world with a huge fan following and here is their ratings out of 10:

Jason Holder: The youngest member in the side and also the youngest West Indies skipper, Jason Holder, a medium-fast bowler, proved to be a valuable player. Holder played seven matches of the tournament and claimed nine wickets for 351 runs, with the best performance being four for 27 and average read 39.00. Holder had an economy of 6.05 including six maidens. Although not the best performance of all, he certainly deserves the applause for giving a tough performance and leading his team well. Holder was extremely successful with the bat, and at times he played with so much authority that it forced fans and critics to admit that the right-hander should actually bat higher in the batting order. Verdict: 6/10

Marlon Samuels: One of the team’s veteran and senior pro, Marlon Samuels did reasonably well and was the second highest run scorer of the team with 230 runs from seven games with an average of 38.33 and a strike-rate of 77.18, that included the highest score of an unbeaten 133 against Zimbabwe. Not to forget, his massive 372-run stand along with Chris Gayle in the same match. He certainly deserves applause for his outstanding performance but the West Indies would have been served better had he been more consistent. Verdict: 7/10 ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Chris Gayle’s record-breaking innings, partnership with Marlon Samuels and other highlights

Sulieman Benn: He played three matches and was unimpressive. Benn gave away 184 runs and claimed just a couple of wickets. As predicted during his initial stages to be a world class spinner, Benn has failed to deliver at the grandest stage despite being on the good list of the selectors and they might have hard time thinking about his future. Verdict: 3/10

Jonathan Carter: A promising middle-order batsman, who stormed into the World Cup squad following his impressive performance in the series against South Africa, prior to the mega event, was initially a slow starter, but gradually converted his game. Although Carter is not in the leader board for most runs in the tournament, Carter was impressive and was partly responsible in steering West Indies to the quarters. With 113 runs from four games including a half-century has more or less left him craving for more time and stay in the side for the upcoming matches. Verdict: 5/10

Johnson Charles: Nothing much to talk about Charles as he played just a couple of games in this World Cup. He featured in the last few games for the West Indies and scored 59 runs, including a half century in the first game against the UAE. Owing to his impressive first game, he was re-selected in the squad for the quarter-final clash against New Zealand, but failed to fire. Nevertheless, a great talent and has a bright future ahead, who is sure to get further chances of being in the side in upcoming series and matches. Verdict: 5/10

Chris Gayle: Undoubtedly, the name says everything. However, except for one occasion at this World Cup, the ‘Gayle Force’ failed to strike. . His outstanding knock of 215 versus Zimbabwe, shattered many records as he became the first West Indies batsman to score a double ton in a One-Day International (ODI) and also the first man to do so, in a World Cup. He also put up a record 372-run stand with Marlon Samuels, setting a new record for the biggest partnership in ODI till date. Chris Gayle’s 215 against Zimbabwe in ICC World Cup 2015: In-depth statistical analysis

However, barring that mammoth knock and partnership, he has hardly fired. Nevertheless, he still tops the chart as the highest run-getter for his side in the tournament with 340 runs with an average of 56.55 and a strike-rate of 117.24 including a century and a half-century as well. Thus, for topping the list, he deserves praise in what probably could be his last World Cup appearance. Verdict: 8/10  Chris Gayle vs Hulk: Superheroes of ICC Cricket World Cup 2015!

Nikita Miller: Nothing much to say about this 32-year old, slow left-arm orthodox spinner, as he played just a game against Zimbabwe in which his team more or less destroyed their opponents with a thunderous batting performance. He did bowl in the match, but was only able to claim a wicket for 48 in 6.3 overs and was dropped from the side for the rest of the games. So nothing much to comment or rate upon, but is a wealth of talent and is sure to fire in the upcoming games. Verdict: 3/10

Denesh Ramdin: The wicketkeeper-batsman has been a regular starter in the side, but has been inconsistent with the bat despite being involved in quite a few good knocks. Has played seven matches and has scored just 107 runs (did not bat in the match against Zimbabwe), also being dismissed on duck twice. However, his wicketkeeping records tell a different story as he is currently second on the list of wicketkeepers with most dismissals in this World Cup with 13 dismissals and three behind the leader, MS Dhoni of India with 15 dismissals. Thus, he deserves the acclaim, if not for his batting, for his job behind the stumps. Verdict: 7/10

Kemar Roach: Hard to comment on this young 26-year-old fast-bowler as well. With just a couple of games played in the tournament, he managed to claim just a wicket for 98 runs. Failing to get enough number of chances, it is hard to give a clean verdict. However, based on the performance of the two games he played yes, it is really a poor one. Verdict: 3/10

Andre Russell: The hard hitting all-rounder has been a hit in the tournament, especially with the ball. He played all the seven games in the tournament and scored just 107 runs (did not bat in the match against Zimbabwe). However, his record with the ball in the tournament tells a good story with 11 scalps from seven games in 54 overs for 343 runs, along with an average of 31.18 and an economy of 6.35 while his best figure reads three for 33 including five maidens. Thus, based on his performance with the ball, he has been impressive and could be marked well. Verdict: 6/10

Darren Sammy: The former captain of the side, all-rounder Darren Sammy impressed with the bat rather than with the ball in the World Cup. He too played the same number of matches as that of the team and has scored 177 runs with just a half-century, along with a strike-rate of 100.00 and an average of 35.40. In the bowling, he has fared extremely poorly with just a scalp for 172 runs. Verdict: 5/10

Lendl Simmons: The middle order batsman managed to put his name in the list of the most runs by a batsman in the World Cup this year. He too managed to feature for the side in seven games (did not bat on two occasions) with 173 runs, including a century and a half-century with the highest score of 102 along with an average of 34.60 and a strike-rate of 101.16, thus helping his team sail through to the quarter-finals. Therefore, he deserves a certain amount of cheer for his consistent performance. Verdict: 5/10

Dwayne Smith: One of West Indies’ explosive opener, but failed to give his side an explosive start, as was expected out of him. Despite his poor start, he was given the opportunity in the six group stage fixtures of the World Cup, but failed to fire with just 93 runs from the six games and his highest score being 31. His performance deteriorated following a good stint in South Africa and needs to heavily work upon in order to be retained in the side for the upcoming series and fixtures. Verdict: 3/10

Jerome Taylor: Undoubtedly, he was the star of the West Indies line-up and was the king of the bowling attack in this World Cup. Ranked fourth in the list of the highest wicket-taker, the fast-bowler has claimed 17 victims from seven games for 328 runs with an average of 19.29 and an economy of 5.56 as his best figure reads three for 15 including a couple of maidens. Clearly, he has sealed his spot in the West Indies side would surely be the man to watch out for. . Verdict: 8/10

Darren Bravo: It was highly unfortunate for this middle-order batsman to have retired from the tournament having played few matches. Although he was dismissed for a duck in the opening gae against Ireland, he was going strong against Pakistan in the next game and was on 49 before being retired hurt for pulling his leg muscle and left the World Cup. Nevertheless, he deserves a good rating for his fighting comeback in the second game. Verdict: 6/10

(Ayush Gupta is a reporter at CricketCountry. A passionate supporter of Manchester United, he idolises Roger Federer and is also a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) maniac. He can be followed on Twitter @Ayush24x7)