Temper expectations for ICC World Cup

The announcement of the Windies 15-man squad for the upcoming ICC World Cup was preceded by region-wide speculation, discussions, and debates as to which players would be included for the trip to England for the May 30 to July 14 spectacle.

Certainly, among my immediate colleagues, there were multiple versions of possible squads that were published, discussed, and debated at length.

When the announcement was finally made via a Cricket West Indies press conference last week, the entire region was held captive as the 15 names, along with mini-profiles, were beamed to all and sundry. The general consensus emerging was that despite being short one specialist batsman, the 15 players selected are the right ones to lead the charge for a third Windies hold on the ICC World Cup trophy. This was with specific and frequent reference being made to the inclusion of Carlos Brathwaite and the exclusion of Marlon Samuels.

General expectations seem unusually high, with fervent and widespread talk of the Windies having a real chance of winning the World Cup, especially after the team’s recent impressive showing against World number-one ranked One Day International (ODI) team England, where the series ended 2-2, with lingering thoughts that the Caribbean side actually should have won it.

With the typical West Indian fan still quite desperate for success, we are often driven by the emotions of the moment at the expense of rational and sometimes glaring reality.

On closer scrutiny of that England series, it is important to note that the positive results were achieved on the back of an incredible stretch of performances by talismanic veteran batsman Chris Gayle, who bludgeoned 424 runs in four innings, with a near ­destructive strike rate of 134. Take Gayle out of that series and the Windies would, quite likely, be down to their typical ­embarrassing norm.

Another key factor that appears to be getting lost in the euphoria is that the conditions in the English summer will be nowhere near as familiar and as friendly as the conditions that prevailed in the Caribbean for that series, with the notoriously swinging ball expected to be a major factor it was not in the West Indies.

WORST VERSION

Also, another quick reminder is that the Windies are still ranked at number nine in the ODI format, only above the minnows that they had to endure the indignity of playing against in a qualifying tournament that they did not even win. The truth be told, in recent years, ODI cricket has been the worst version of the game for the regional team in terms of performances. Before the Gayle blitz against England, the Windies had shown a consistent inability to execute and manage the nuances of the 50-over game. Our batsmen appear to be generally unable to devise an appropriate approach to maximise the scores in their 50 overs at the crease, while our ­bowlers tend to lose intensity and effectiveness the longer the games go.

A look at the squad itself shows the likes of Andre Russell, Brathwaite, Fabian Allen, and Oshane Thomas, who are all expected to play ­important roles in this summer’s quest for glory. These are all Twenty20 experts rather than competent and proven 50-over performers.

As fans, it is always great to feel enthusiasm and optimism ­heading into an event as big as a World Cup tournament, but reality dictates that Windies fans temper ­expectations and instead watch the ICC World Cup with a wide-open mind.