The two-time cricket world champion West Indies failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time. Scotland defeated West Indies by seven wickets during the World Cup Qualifier 2023 in Harare on Saturday.
On the one hand, deep sorrow is being expressed for the West Indies' exit from the World Cup due to poor performance, on the one hand, there is criticism from its former cricketers that the quality of the team has declined to such an extent that it Can't fall any further and there is advice for everyone.
Scotland's team fell heavily on West Indies
Scotland won the toss and invited West Indies to bat. Opener Johnson Charles was dismissed for a wicket after which West Indies captain Shay Hope, tournament top scorer Nicholas Pooran, all-rounder Jason Holder all got off to a good start but failed to support the team till the end. Brendan McMullen took three wickets in his three overs in the first innings.
West Indies team was all out for 181 due to poor batting.
In the second innings, McMullen scored 69 runs while Matthew Cross scored 74 runs and Scotland won by scoring 185 runs for the loss of three wickets. But Scotland must now beat Zimbabwe and the Netherlands to progress further into the World Cup qualifiers.
Remember that five years ago, West Indies defeated Scotland by five runs. In Hobart, the West Indies were all out for 198, in response to which Scotland scored 125 for the loss of five wickets, but rain stopped the game. Duckworth-Lewis declared the West Indies winners by just five runs.
'We let ourselves down'
"Things were going our way so we had to make the most of it," McMahon said after the win. I enjoyed all the wickets, I enjoyed it a lot. Matthew (Cross) played well today and took the pressure from both of us. It's great to see him back in form.
On the other hand, while reacting to his defeat, Shai Hope says that "I can't put my finger on a single thing." We have let ourselves down throughout the tournament. We have to look back and see how we start the innings.
"I think fielding has to do with your attitude. We have to try harder, especially with our attitude. Catches get missed, bad fielding happens, it's part of the game. But the effort must be there. "I don't think we gave 100 percent all the time."
"It starts with the foundation," Hope said. Back home we have to prepare better. We can't come here and expect to be the best team when we're not prepared."
"We cannot wake up one morning and say we are a great team," admitted the West Indian captain. There is something to focus on, we can only control what is within our control.' "I saw discipline in them, especially in their bowling attack," he said in praise of Scotland's game. We can learn from them.
Shameful defeat. Inadequate talent.
Former fast bowler and commentator Ann Bishop called the West Indies defeat 'the downfall of a great team that won the World Cup twice'. Change the captain, change the coach, change whoever you want. The results were as expected.
He said that West Indies played very bad cricket in fielding and batting in the group stage matches. This raises the question whether this game is acceptable in any case.
With him, former all-rounder Carlos Braithwaite replied, "The straight answer is no." After the T20, this time we have missed the opportunity in another format (One Day).
"This is the level of decline from which you cannot go any further." "The real thing is how to improve talent," he says. Anne Bishop said that it has been a difficult journey for West Indies cricket fans around the world. "It has been a dramatic journey from rise to fall for the two-time world champion, two-time T20 champion team."
He says that the problem is the system. We have to change the system, we have to bring changes in it.
It should be noted that the current West Indies coach and former captain Darren Sammy commented on the previous defeat against the Netherlands and said, "This defeat reflects our performance."
He had said that 'sometimes you have to go to the bottom to go up.' Commenting on West Indies' defeat, former Indian opener Virender Sehwag said, "It's embarrassing."
"This proves that talent is insufficient, it needs attention and a better management structure that is free from politics." According to Gautam Gambhir, West Indies can still become the number one team, while former captain Mohammad Hafeez believes that West Indies' failure is a lesson for everyone.
"Professor" Hafeez says that "infrastructure, better management of players is also required to remain at the international level." On the other hand, Shoaib Akhtar says that it is very sad to see West Indies not qualifying for the World Cup.
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