Is it too late for West Indian cricket to get its swagger back?

They have a lot in common culturally, politically corruption wise, socially as well . The way cricket is structured politically and economically they have everything to lose if they become independent nations. In football FIFA pays each national association the same amount of money 1 million per year which is great for smaller nations, the ICC on the other hand the top get the money the next level get a fraction and then you get next to nothing. More important than the ICC money if India doesnt tour then the region will lose its major money source. FIFA is organised into confederations, the Carribean not just British has enormous influence in FIFA they have so many votes, and after Blazer who with the help of Warner stole a lot of the Concacaf regions revenue, they get to share in the revenue generated by USA and Mexico and control the Confederation, so USA and Mexico have to play in the Carribean. The ICC is not democratic , India runs the show, and as an Indian tour generates the revenue they can just threaten not to tour and they have most nations except Pakistan by the proverbials.

Tim Duncan US Virgin islands not British Carribean moved to the US as well.

There were eighteen territories that made up the British West Indies. All but five are now fully independent. Do these independent nations have much in common? Are these drifting further apart politically, socially and culturally? Maybe the entire concept of a British West Indies cricket team has become an anachronism?

You could have at least gone a bit more contemporary and said Duncan! I mean apart from the guys in the NBA at the moment who grew up there.

No no, you are right! There are no Carribean kids who move to the US to attend high school and college because they have been spotted by US scouts! I am in fact positive there are no US scouts even in the Carribean.

There's no doubt India are the elephant in the room and many would suggest they seem happy to "bully" other cricketing nations to get what they want, both within and outside the ICC. I'm not a fan of having a fixed prize money bucket, but would rather see a healthy minimum Test wage from that 5% revenue amount you mentioned. For example, I'd have thought each player should be paid a base salary of $500,000 from the ICC, which can be topped up by their national associations, endorsements, etc. That's a very comfortable wage in any Test nation, especially the Windies

The fear of the West Indies dominance in the 80's made county cricket limit their foreign players to 1 which derailed them getting young West Indian cricketers into county cricket. Then the county cricket sides turned to finding those with English heritage to get around that which meant it actually strengthened Australia and white players from South Africa and Zimbabwe who then got the opportunities. The other factor is the one period where the West Indies were actually well paid to play international cricket was by Kerry Packer. Kerry Packer got them their famous trainer as well. Without Kerry Packer the West Indies would have probably stayed at the brilliant but unreliable level of the previous years. The other thing is lifestyle, if their is no money to be made playing cricket locally why should they continue playing especially when its takes so much time, there are lot more entertainment options. The problem is India not the ICC, everyone knows that if India pulls out then there goes most of the money and they play hardball. The latest decision is a farce, India will get 40% of ICC revenue. The ICC money though is only 70m a year for the whole world whereas Indian board is probably earning close to a billion a year, England will be half a billion and Australia 400m. The big source of money is not the ICC but when they tour the host team gets the broadcast rights. This is where a tour by India pays all the bill once every four years, England is the other team that brings in a lot. Australia on the other hand while the amount paid for local cricket is enormous when Australia tours the amount paid for the rights is lot smaller. England ironically with the Ashes as the biggest beneficiary. The problem with that is the money goes to top level at each country . How much of that filters to the players, New Zealand they have been more succesfull then others because they pay their players better than South Africa and West Indies . To get test cricket back on track there need to be some regulations on 5% of the total revenue going into collective prize money. So there is something to play for each match. 5% is probably going to be around 100 million. Then you will see every one and his dog desperate to play test cricket.

Another reason why WI players are not up to the standard of past players? It is not so much a lack of talent, but more a lack of playing in either county cricket or grade/sheffield shield in Australia to hone that talent. These places were their cricketing "nursery". The majority of current WI players don't do that, preferring t20 competitions. All this has done is expose the first class system as 2nd rate. Is that the sole reason? No. Cricket now has to compete with football, athletics and basketball for participants. Money is also a huge issue. So is cricket being behind a paywall and not being played in schools where many poorer children wouldn't get to see or play it.

Its not what it is, its you confusing that the players born in the Carribean they have in US sports are those who moved to the US as kids.

There's certainly a decline in numbers playing the game at a decent level in the Windies, presumably brought on by (mostly) economic factors, but those that have come through have been very talented, eg Nicholas Pooran. What they've lacked is strong pathways, leadership & guidance, so a lot of budding stars have arguably squandered that talent and/or used it almost exclusively to make money. Pooran is a good example of that too.

No doubt money is a huge issue but I’m pretty sure declining talent is part of it. The biggest drop in batting and bowling quality occurred in the late 90s/early 2000s. People came up with various theories, such as declining interest at the grassroots due to competition from sports like basketball and soccer. But no one really made a clear case. Can’t be US sports because there isn’t a single West Indian in the NBA, MLB or NFL. And hardly any in pro soccer.

The problem about the future direction of the sport are the vested interests pressuring the ICC. I've read more than a few articles about the demise of Test cricket with comments almost always coming from someone financially connected to T20 cricket. The other issue is the ICC being dominated by the same boys club I mentioned above. Each of the three nations are guilty of putting their own interests first and in ICC forums, of almost bullying the other nations to do what they're told. They'll throw the odd crumb, like admission to Test status, but that does nothing to help promote the game - unless it financially suits India, England or Australia.

Insightful article. For those like me old enough to recall their strength from the early 60's to their decline, just try & pick a "best eleven";& see some of the game's greats who miss out. You could pick two sides of equal strength.

Where did you get the idea they are all playing basketball in the British Carribean. Let me guess Patrick Ewing, who never played basketball there then moved to the USA where he picked up the game. In those days they had like one basketball court on the whole island. They would be increasing now but how much access to them do the kids in the Carribean have. The sporting facility that the Carribean has gained in terms of acres taken are the golf courses, does that mean the Carribean is going to be producing golfers now.

This article highlights how badly the ICC has managed the game over the past 10 or 15 years in particular, but the past 2 or 3 decades in general. I don't think there's a cricket lover in the world who doesn't want to see the swagger back in the West Indies team, just as I want to see a really competitive South African Test team, as well as teams from Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, etc who can more than hold their own. Many have suggested they lack the talent, but I think that's simply not the case. The simple reality is, the major cricketing nations in general and the ICC in particular have almost deliberately ignored the cash disparity between players from these sides, by focusing almost exclusively on their own nations. As an outsider looking it, there seems to be a boys club comprising India, England & Australia. Their focus is so inward looking, they really don't give a toss what happens in the Caribbean - unless it somehow affects their bottom line. They also receive the lion's share of the cash that comes into the game, both directly and from the ICC. The ICC is as much to blame with its complete inability to supplement the wages of poorer Test nations with some serious cash. That would mean taking from the 3 nations in the boys club, none of whom are willing to part with any money, even though it would benefit the game enormously. It wasn't that long ago people were asking whether Sth African cricket could survive, now it's the West Indies. The common thread for both is a lack of money and until the ICC sees that and does something constructive about it, cricket in these locations will die off within a generation.

So how much West Indian cricket have you actually watched recently to write this article. It seems rather strange someone talking about Sunil Narine and his failing a fitness test and seen a certain West Indian cricketer they have in the team at the moment. At the time I thought it was very weird that Chris Gayle was in the team . It turns out Chris Gayle was exempt. Rakheem Cornwall his exemption has then been underwritten by the American fast food industry. I think the number one player they need to bring out for the Big Bash is Rakheem Cornwall but how exactly are you supposed last 5 days in cricket at that size. I would love to see a KFC ad with him as well,

Certainly not blaming them, but it is what it is and I can't see any way back for WI cricket