The West Indies cricket board, Cricket West Indies (CWI), have hit the panic button as they have called for an emergency meeting on Tuesday, July 15, following their horror show in the third Test against Australia.
The crisis talks have begun after the Men in Maroon were bundled out for just 27 runs in the second innings of the pink-ball Test, the first played at the Sabina Park in Jamaica. Mitchell Starc ran riot with the ball as he picked up a hat-trick and finished with figures of 6/9 in just 7.3 overs.
The CWI President, Dr Kishore Shallow, in a letter, expressed his pain and disappointment after the nightmare performance by the West Indies and called for a review meeting. He even extended invitations to some legendary names that have represented them in the past, like Brian Lara, Clive Lloyd, Sir Vivian Richards, among many others.
“As an immediate step, I have advised the Chair of the Cricket Strategy and Officiating Committee to convene an emergency meeting to review the recent test series against Australia, particularly the final match,” Shallow’s letter read.
“To strengthen the discussions, I have extended invitations to three of our greatest batsmen ever: Sir Clive Lloyd, Sir Vivian Richards, and Brian Lara. They will join past greats Dr. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dr. The Most Honourable Desmond Haynes, Ian Bradshaw, who already serve on the committee,’ he added.
The board’s president continues to highlight how this is not a time to be divisive but a moment to come together and get West Indies cricket back to where it belongs.
“Consistent with my message over the last weeks, this is a moment that calls for collaboration, not division. We need everyone on board: fans, players, coaches, legends, and administrators, if we are to truly move forward,” he said.
“There is much work to be done. But we must do it with purpose, and we must do it together,” he concluded.
Despite having some legendary names and teams in the past, West Indies cricket has been going on a downward spiral in the modern era. Now, most of the players have been focused on playing T20S, particularly for other franchises, as it has proven to be a more lucrative option. This proved to be ideal as they went on to be the first team to win multiple T20 World Cups as well. But the ODI and Test teams have struggled for the most part.
CWI are desperate to see the cricketing landscape see a turn for the better and this meeting could spark a better future for the sport.
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