When Phil Simmons was unceremoniously sacked as West Indies coach just days out from their tour against Pakistan in the UAE it was another black mark on an already plastered board of fallouts in the country’s cricket.
Contract issues, players feeling unloved and undermined and a board indignant in what many perceive as their neglect of West Indies cricket no longer rumble under the surface. They are aired in public with the same frequency that the nation was once mentioned as the chief destroyers of international cricket.
Those heady days of the 1970s, 80s and even the 90s seem a distant past, especially in Test cricket.
But by hook or by crook, the West Indies have found solace in Twenty20 cricket and twice became world champions under the leadership of Darren Sammy, a man also given the boot after clashing with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).
Coaches, captains and players have come and gone, leaving the West Indies in a perpetual state of transition.
But every time they are written off, they respond in the shortest format.
Now, sitting third in the ICC T20 rankings and proudly proclaiming their status as world champions, the West Indies are once again rebuilding and out to prove their pedigree.
Carlos Brathwaite continues in his newly appointed role as captain against Pakistan in the two-match T20I series in Dubai, while Evin Lewis, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Chadwick Walton and Kesrick Williams represent the new faces in the camp in the absence of the likes of Sammy, Chris Gayle and Andre Russell.
The team will be asked to put on a united front and if there is one thing this side does well it is rally against the outside world.
World number one T20 bowler Samuel Badree believes that the closeness of the group is one of the reasons for their success during such turbulent times behind the scenes.
“I think we are respected globally and within our region in terms of T20 cricket, the other versions not so much so,” said Badree ahead of the T20I series. “But we don’t really pay much attention to off the field battles, we focus on a team on our performances on the field so whatever happens off the field doesn’t really deter us that much.”
And despite the high turnover of players, Badree is confident that the more experienced players in the West Indies squad can make up for the rookies running out for the first time in the UAE.
Badree was one of the West Indies contingent to play in this year’s Pakistan Super League in the UAE, an experience he believes will be only of benefit for him and his team-mates.
“I’ve been here in the PSL, I’ve played with Islamabad United who eventually won the competition so I’ve got quite a bit of experience here,” he said.
“A number of the guys have been here before, the likes of Bravo, Narine, Pollard etc so we’re looking forward to some very good games of cricket and of course we’d like to win the series and remain one of the best T20 teams in the world.”
The 35-year-old injured his shoulder in the World T20 final this year, missing out on the IPL that followed the tournament.
But having returned to T20 cricket in the Caribbean Premier League and for his country against India in the USA this summer, Badree believes he is back to his best form that saw him rise to top spot in the world.
“It’s always difficult to recover after a serious injury. Luckily for me, the transition was good because I had a good support staff,” added Badree.
“I think I’m 100% there. There’s no discomfort there when I bowl and I’m very happy with my performances so far.”
He will need to be if the West Indies are to defy the odds once more.
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