The West Indies may be in an organisational shambles and they may have struggled for a number of years, but there have been enough signs they could be a serious danger to the big sides at the World Cup.
Since the 2015 event, England and India have dominated the ODI game across the globe, but in recent series against both sides the West Indies have done superbly.
They lost the series against India in October last year, but that marked the beginning of a change in the way the Windies have played.
Much of their upsurge in fortunes can be attributed to the return of Chris Gayle to front the batting, alongside the rise of players like the dependable Shai Hope and the explosive Shimron Hetmyer.
India were given some stick for being run close by a team that had seemed to be in complete disarray, but when the West Indies secured an ODI series draw against the World Cup favourites it ignited hopes of another special run at the World Cup for the men from the Caribbean.
The West Indies have won the World Cup twice, but haven’t reached a final since 1996, when they lost to Sri Lanka. Even in that tournament, they were largely written off. The Windies met the Proteas in the quarter-final and the green and gold chose to rest Allan Donald for the encounter. A Brian Lara master-class saw the Windies dispatch opposition that had won all of their group games.
The modern ODI game is built around boshing the ball to all parts and, even if they haven’t been very consistent, that is something the Windies are more than capable of doing.
They also have a very good bowling attack at their disposal and the likes of skipper Jason Holder and spin-bowling all-rounder Ashley Nurse give their lower-order some real steel.
Jason Holder has blossomed into a fully-fledged international all-rounder of some repute – and his leadership of the team has also progressed to new heights.
X-factor player Andre Russell has returned to the fray after making waves in the Indian Premier League yet again this year.
The international exiles of certain players have hampered the Windies’ ability to be competitive, but Floyd Reifer will want to build on the work done by his coaching predecessors Richard Pybus and Stuart Law.
Perhaps the most exciting thing brewing in West Indies cricket right now is the emergence of a new crop of fast bowlers that harken back to the glory days of cricket in the Caribbean. Keemo Paul is currently tearing up the IPL with Kagiso Rabada at the Delhi Capitals, while veterans Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel have fond memories of playing in England.
Either side of competing well against the world’s best ODI sides, the Windies suffered series defeats home and away to Bangladesh. The Windies will have to do more than just cause the odd upset to add a third World Cup crown to their collection, but they will almost certainly be a dangerous side to face.
Written by @JonhenryWilson
