NICK FRIEND travels forward in time to the 2023 World Cup in India to look at what the West Indian side might look like after a disappointing 2019 campaign
A deeply frustrating tournament for a man who, fitness permitting, could well have taken the World Cup by storm. Nobody can simply replace Chris Gayle – one of the great limited-over batsmen of all time, but Lewis might be the closest West Indies are likely to come.
A swashbuckling, fearless left-hander, he strikes the ball both harder and further than the vast majority.
A record of just two hundreds in a 39-match ODI career thus far says nothing of an immense talent. Yet, his unbeaten 176 against England at The Oval back in 2017 was not so much a glimpse as it was a highlight reel of daring stroke-play.
If he can remain fit, West Indian cricket will have one seriously good opening batsman for years to come.
Quite frankly, John Campbell should be part of this West Indies World Cup side. In truth, he has been left out in favour of Chris Gayle because, well, Chris Gayle is Chris Gayle. The West Indies’ campaign has become a nine-game swansong for the self-proclaimed Universe Boss.
The team has been left behind in the Gayle roadshow. Campbell, a hugely talented left-hander himself, should be out there. He already holds the world record for the highest ever opening stand in ODI cricket, putting on 365 with Shai Hope against Ireland in a warmup series before the World Cup got underway.
Shai Hope has the sixteenth highest ODI batting average of all time of anyone to have come to the crease on more than 20 occasions. It places him in the company of some of the game’s all-time greats; he is rubbing shoulders with Kane Williamson, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and MS Dhoni.
However, he has been stifled in this tournament by Gayle’s reluctance to rotate the strike and look for singles within the inner ring. It is a major part of Hope’s game and has left him, at times, bogged down. It is no coincidence that his best knock – 96 against Bangladesh – came after Gayle had been dismissed for a duck.
As one half of that monster partnership with Campbell showed, there are few better than Hope. When Gayle leaves the international scene, he will be the fulcrum of this side.
Evin Lewis struggled with injury during the World Cup
Nobody who has witnessed Shimron Hetmyer has not immediately raved about his talents. A fearless, skillful encapsulation of all that is great about West Indian batting, he is a left-hander to die for.
His propensity to bat in a wide-brim cap is a wonderful throwback to a different time; he is languid elegance personified. He is a bundle of precociousness; he is a man that West Indian cricket must keep onside. He will be at the fingertips of franchise tournaments all over the world; he must be managed and entertained. He could make world champions of this team. A World Cup of starts for Hetmyer, he can – and will – deliver so much more.
The second half of a thrilling left-handed middle-order duo. If Hetmyer was the more feted of the pair before the World Cup began, then it is Nicholas Pooran whose accomplishments in the last month that have truly shone.
After a fairly successful Indian Premier League stint with Kings XI Punjab, he has shown more of what he is about in England. He is style and power, but mixed in with a terrific resilience and a sense of responsibility that belies his years.
He was a matter of runs away from a fabulous match-winning knock against Sri Lanka, though his hundred – nonetheless – was a masterful effort. Meanwhile, as his older teammates fell by the wayside against England, he stuck around for a gritty 63. A man whose cricket career was almost destroyed by a horrific car accident in 2015, he appreciates what he has. A future captain, perhaps.
A batter who bowls rather than a bowler who bats, but in this West Indian team, he is the sole spin option. His left-arm tweakers are more than serviceable.
A high score in first-class cricket of 169 highlights his potential with bat in hand, which was further placed on display in partnership with Pooran as the pair sought to record the biggest chase in World Cup history against Sri Lanka.
While it all ended in tears – Allen’s runout was, in a sense, the perfect encapsulation of a frenetic and chaotic innings, it was a knock nonetheless that underlined a fearsome potential as a finisher to a one-day innings. We will see more of him.
Shimron Hetmyer is a player of some talent
It is hard to believe that Jason Holder is just 27; the captain of this ship is a man of unrivaled respect, immense credibility and no little talent.
A far better batsman than given credit for and an effective seamer – even if he has not been at his best during this World Cup, this West Indian side is his to lead and his to mould.
There can be few leaders of greater integrity than Holder and he must be given the opportunity – in a side shorn of the ultra-personalities of Gayle and Andre Russell – to cultivate his own environment. This one-day unit has a plethora of match-winners. With Holder at the helm, they will be given the chance to thrive.
Part of a five-pronged seam attack in this side, Paul is not part of this World Cup squad. He recovered sufficiently from a quadricep injury against England in February to take part in the IPL, where he played a key role in Ricky Ponting’s Delhi Capitals side enjoying a fine season.
The bowling allrounder already has a T20I five-wicket haul, while he has also impressed in the initial stages of an embryonic Test career. He also possesses a first-class century – proof of batting stock that will surely improve as his career progresses. At just 21 years of age, he is a fascinating prospect.
Oshane Thomas has proven himself as a dangerous customer
Only missing the World Cup after injuring his shoulder during the IPL, Alzarri Joseph looks set to become the latest in the glorious pantheon of West Indian fast bowlers.
He troubled England in the Test series last winter, before taking the IPL by storm until injury took its toll. His effort of six for 12 against Sunrisers Hyderabad was the spell of a 22-year-old with the world at his feet.
He has proven expensive in ODI cricket thus far, but that economy rate will surely improve with experience. He already has a five-wicket haul in one-day international cricket, with that feat coming against England at The Oval.
Oshane Thomas. What a talent. Big, bustling, raw. He is everything you’d want in a fast bowler – he is mean. He is quick and he knows he’s quick. His bouncer is as ferocious as his fuller delivery.
He had England running for the hills as he dismantled the feted batting lineup of Eoin Morgan’s side at St Lucia. Indeed, he repeated the trick against Pakistan in West Indies’ first game of this World Cup, taking four wickets in a spell of sheer hostility.
At 22 years old, Thomas may well have a further three World Cups left in him if he can keep himself fit and firing. That is quite some prospect. Like Joseph, an expensive economy rate will come down as he grows up.
Another young pacer of significant potential, Obed McCoy offers the left-arm option that has proven so successful in recent times.
Where Australia have had Mitchell Starc and New Zealand Trent Boult, West Indies have relied on Sheldon Cottrell and his iconic salute to provide his side with an early breakthrough. Cottrell, however, is 29 years old. Whether he is around to lead this attack again in four years’ time is tough to call.
What is more straightforward, though, is to earmark McCoy as a worthy successor. Although he was taken for runs by England in the T20 series between the sides at the start of the year, much is expected of him.
His first ODI wicket came in the shape of MS Dhoni – decent pedigree.
Our coverage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 is brought to you in association with Cricket 19, the official video game of the Ashes. Pre-order your copy now at Amazon.co.uk
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