Windward Islands Volcanoes coach and former regional fast bowler, Andrew Richardson, insists the West Indies must close the distance between themselves and top-class cricketing nations, in terms of talent development, if the team is ever to be truly competitive again.
World cricket powerhouses India recently earned plenty of plaudits for a stunning win over Australia, with a squad full of mostly inexperienced developing players.
The West Indies on the other hand, once the world’s best cricket team, have suffered lopsided defeats at the hands of England, New Zealand, and most recently Bangladesh. The defeats have led to renewed criticism of the regional team in some quarters, but Ricardson insists the world’s top team are simply reaping the fruit of their labour, which took the form of talent development.
“It’s a correlation that the boards that have the luxury of having more coaches employed, more facilities, more players on contracts, more A team tours, more money invested in development, are the countries that have been doing well,” Richardson told Grenada’s Talksports program.
“Case in point, India has an academy just for fast bowling,” he added.
“In the 80s, not to knock anything from the Lloyd and Viv Richards era, we had awesome talent. During that time, if you check the history, most teams were setting up their academies to improve their game. We didn’t set up our academy until around 2000. So, they have been reaping the success of what they have put in.”
Richardson insisted that the region still has the talent and pointed to the team’s performances in the youth competitions to stress the point. The West Indies won the U-19 World Cup in 2016 and were runners up in 2004.
Jones' T20 World Cup heroics inspired by showing world cricket USA's capabilities
Aaron Jones etched his name into T20 World Cup folklore with a match-winning blitz on Sunday, but hopes his impact leaves a legacy off the field for United States cricket.
Jones crashed 94 off just 40 balls, combining in a 131-run third-wicket partnership with Andries Gous, as the USA started their World Cup campaign with a seven-wicket win over Canada.
The Dallas crowd were treated to a spectacle as the domination by Jones and Gous came at 14.29 runs per over, the highest run-rate of any century partnership in the tournament's history.
With hosts USA making their first-ever appearance at this global competition, Jones wants his scintillating performance to inspire the next generation of his country's cricketers.
He said after his heroics: "I wanted especially [to win] because America is not really a 'cricketing country', I wanted to win for our fans…and really show the world that the USA has great cricketers here."
As for his own performance, Jones crashed 10 sixes in a dominant chase as the USA cruised to a 195 target with some 14 balls to spare.
Only Chris Gayle, with 11 against England in 2016 at Wankhede, has ever cleared the ropes more times in a single World Cup innings.
"Sometimes when you play an innings like this, you go home, you sleep, and then you wake up and go 'woah, I don't even know how I batted like that'," Jones added.
"It's happened to me two or three times in the past and I think tomorrow is going to be like that as well."
Teetering on the brink at 42-2 in the second innings, Jones and Gous – the latter bludgeoning 65 off 46 balls – stepped up to power the USA to an unlikely victory.
"To be honest with you, from a young age, I've always been put in positions where I needed to be the man," he continued.
"To save the team and to help the team win. I think it brings out the best in me."
The USA face a tougher test when they meet Pakistan on Thursday, aiming to make it two wins from as many games in the limited-overs tournament.
Jones makes mockery of Canada as USA dominate T20 World Cup opener
The United States recorded a statement victory over rivals Canada in their first-ever T20 World Cup outing, as Aaron Jones and Andries Gous stole the show in a seven-wicket triumph.
Canada opener Navneet Dhaliwal powered 61 off just 44 balls, while Nicholas Kirton's 51 and an unbeaten 32 from Shreyas Movva helped their side set a target of 195 in Dallas.
The USA responded by losing Steven Taylor for a two-ball duck and slipped to 42-2 after the powerplay when Dilon Heyliger had captain Monank Patel caught behind for 16.
Yet that set the stage for an eye-catching partnership between Jones and Gous, who combined for a 131-run blitz at a whirlwind run rate of 14.3 for the third wicket.
Number three Gous bludgeoned 65 from only 46 deliveries but was somehow overshadowed by the impressive Jones, who finished 94 not out after facing just 40 balls.
Gous holed out off the bowling of Nikhil Dutta but Jones fittingly finished the chase with 14 balls to spare, securing USA's fifth straight win over Canada in the pair's first-ever World Cup appearance.
Data Debrief: Jones almost matches Gayle record
Jones cleared the ropes 10 times during his destructive performance, with only West Indies' Chris Gayle hitting more sixes in one World Cup innings (11 against England in 2016 at Wankhede).
USA vice-captain Jones had only reached 50 once in this format before this innings, but announced his arrival on the world stage with an emphatic performance.
West Indies can rekindle magic of 2012 and 2016 at T20 World Cup, says Pooran
Nicholas Pooran says West Indies are desperate to recapture the magic of 2012 and 2016 at this year's T20 World Cup, as they target a third title at the tournament.
The Windies are one of only two teams, alongside England (2010 and 2022) to win multiple 20-over world crowns, having gone back-to-back when now-head coach Daren Sammy was captain in 2012 and 2016.
They will co-host this year's tournament alongside the United States, with Papua New Guinea their opponents for their opening Group C match on Sunday.
West Indies failed to advance beyond the first round when Pooran was skipper at the 2022 tournament, finishing bottom of a group containing Zimbabwe, Ireland and Scotland.
Pooran is no longer captain, having passed that honour onto Rovman Powell, but he is determined to play a part in bringing back the feel-good factor.
"Coming back in here after two years, everybody wants to get that special feeling we had when we won those two T20 World Cups," Pooran told ESPNcricinfo.
"I feel like everybody wants that moment again. They want to be a part of that winning feeling. Doing it in front of our fans is even more special."
Pooran's 1,848 T20I runs are the most accumulated by any player to make the Windies' squad for this year's World Cup, as are his 88 T20I matches played.
He is certain they have improved since the last edition of the tournament, adding: "We all have grown as players, as team-mates as well.
"When we played in Australia where we didn't qualify, everyone was hurt. I resigned from captaincy after that. Everyone was hurt, but we are no longer that group of guys.
"We all know what's at stake here. We all know that we have an opportunity to redeem ourselves, to make our cricket fans in the Caribbean and our cricket fans all over the world proud of us.
"This time around we are much better players as well. Most of our guys that play franchise cricket, they understand what is needed to be a professional."
Pooran enters the tournament after scoring 499 runs in this season's Indian Premier League for Lucknow Super Giants.
He scored those runs at a superb average of 62.37, which was the best mark achieved by any player, and had a strike-rate of 178.21, helped by smashing 36 sixes.
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