Published: Jul 02, 2023, 10:08 AM (IST)
Edited: Jul 02, 2023, 10:08 AM (IST)
New Delhi: Two-time winners West Indies have been eliminated from the race to qualify for the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup after suffering an embarrassing seven-wicket defeat to Scotland in the Super Six stage of the ongoing qualifiers tournament at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday.
Legendary Windies cricketer Ian Bishop who is one of the commentators in the tournament almost had tears in his eyes as his team failed to qualify for the ODI World Cup 2023 for the first time ever. The picture of him and Carlos Brathwaite’s disappointed faces are now going viral on the internet.
The disappointment on the faces of Ian Bishop and Carlos Brathwaite.
West Indies cricket at their lowest currently! pic.twitter.com/9EKxM4TXYM
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 2, 2023
West Indies were the champions of the first two editions of the World Cup in 1975 and 1979 and finished runners-up to India in 1983. The 13th edition of the ODI World Cup, to be held from October 5 to November 19 in India, will be the first tournament to be played without the West Indies.
The loss to Scotland means West Indies won’t be among the two teams to qualify for this year’s ODI World Cup. The saddening setback is a continuation of West Indies’ decline in ICC tournaments, coming after not making it to the Super 12 stage of the 2022 Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia, after winning just one out of three games in the group stage at Hobart.
West Indies came into the Super Six stage with a very slim possibility of finishing in the top two and qualifying for the ODI World Cup. Losing to Zimbabwe and Netherlands in the group stage meant they carried forward no points into the Super Six and were required to win all three of their games to have an outside chance for qualification.
In a must-win game against Scotland, a shoddy batting performance meant West Indies were bowled out for just 181. The target of 182 wasn’t enough to trouble Scotland, who chased down the total with 39 balls to spare.
Matthew Cross and Brandon McMullen smashed fifties each while sharing a match-winning 125-run stand for Scotland to keep their chances of qualifying for the main event alive, as West Indies touched the absolute rock bottom in the history of their existence in cricket.
