Sympathy for the Windies

[Shinboners]

After years of smashing England, no matter how incompetent the pommy team was, you'd just hope that they'd get even worse. More inept batting, more lazy fielding, more stray bowling.....I just know that there's nothing better in cricket than to see the Australians grind them into the dirt. But with the West Indies, I do want to see them play better, to be competitive. I don't want to see them get more incompetent as I always hope for the English. Sure, the West Indies were a brutal cricket machine in the 80s, and taking a West Indian wicket would be enough to cause a national holiday, but I never hated them in the same way I hated England.

Does anyone else feel that way? Or are you perfectly happy to see the West Indies go further into decline?

 

[Gonzo]

Shinners

At a pinch the best I'll give them (after we have cleaned em up 4 - nil) is a lucky draw due to rain in the last test!

Then send em off to England and watch them thump the Poms!!! Got a soft spot for the Windies (against everyone else that is!!)

And then watch the Poms go down in a series against Bangladesh!!!

 

[GoEagles]

I too have a soft spot for the Windies and want to see them do well (make Australia bat in the 2nd innings at least!)

So whats to blame for their downfall? Is it the Americanisation of sport such as Basketball which is turning the youngsters away from cricket? The fact that they would be able to earn so much more money and stardom if they played in America rather than cricket?

 

[Shinboners]

The basketball argument is a red herring. Australian cricket loses more potential players to Australian Rules than the Caribbean nations lose to basketball. I heard on radio (they discussed this issue) that there is only 1 (ONE!) West Indian basketballer in the NBA.

The problem for the West Indies is that they're several nations all fighting for their own self interest. It's not dissimilar to the English county sides looking after their own interests instead of their national side. Meanwhile, in Australia and South Africa, the national team is the be all and end all, and all development of players is central to making them into national players.

I think that after dominating the game for so long, the West Indies thought that they would dominate forever. It wasn't so long ago that players like Lara, Chanderpaul, Adams, and Campbell helped the Windies to a 2-2 series draw against Australia. The West Indies bowling is okay...especially considering that they haven't had much of a target to defend. It's been their batting that has let them down.

 

[Grendel]

While i dont give them a chance what i would like to see is some favourable umpiring (ie at least dont give them out when theyre clearly NOT OUT) instead of the shockers that Ganga,Dillon etc have already copped. Maybe they may even pay some correct ones (M.Waugh in Brissie,Gillispie twice in Perth) the Windies way.

As said they still wont win, but at least there might just be a bit more of a contest to the series. Who knows, it could even result in a FOUR day game!

 

[Arch]

youre joking arnt ya shins ????

Im only just wiping away the bitter childhood memories of Clive Lloyd totally smashing us around the ground, and Viv, Gomes, Dujon,Greenich, Haynes et al before I start pitying the Windies.
Show no mercy I say !!!

I also think that many people dont give the aussies enough credit, when saying how woeful the Windies are. Im not saying that they havent been pretty bad, but I think its because the Aussies have been forcing them into it, with mountains of pressure.

 

[PieGirl#41]

Ahhh....stuff the bloddy Windies, they are shit!

~*~Go Binger!!~*~

 

[SpecialBruce]

I feel sorry for the Windies. Walsh is on 485 wickets. He has 15 more to get. I sure hope he can get them where it all started.

 

[karnaby]

Bugger the windies! & yes they have copped some crap umpiring.
Courtney will be pushing it uphill to get 15 wickets if the Aussies have six more innings throughout the series, absolutely no hope if we only bat three or four times.

 

[James2]

1) I have no sympathy for the West Indies, or any team for that matter, that Australia defeats.

2) The WIndies still perform very well in the Caribbean where they have only lost one series in the past 27 years.


It should be remembered that the current Australian team performed poorly in Sri Lanka last August. Australian teams have also struggled whenever they play in India.

Like most teams in recent times (including Australia), the West Indies struggle to perform in conditions, different to their own.

PS. I don't consider NZ, South African and English conditions, different to Australia.

------------------
"Be not afraid of greatness."
Shakespeare, Twelfth Night.

 

[Dipper]

Gonzo & Shinboners you may love to see us Poms ground into the dirt but it tell you we're on the way up & if next year's Ashes is too early then 2001/2002 series in Aussie will be the one where we reclaim the Ashes (it's always better winning over there anyone it pisses you blokes off more)So keep mouthing off but prepare yourself for your worst nightmare

 

[PieGirl#41]

HAH!! Yeah right the poms get the ashes back...you must be dreaming....

~*~Go Binger!!~*~

 

[Gonzo]

Dipp

and if not 2001/2 then you'll definetely get us in 2004, or if not 2004 then it should be 2006/7 or maybe 2009, if not 2009 then..........

Lets just say that eventually you will win back the ashes!! (Guaranteed!!!)

And while we are making predictions I'll give you one for the 2009 series:

Graeme Hick will be recalled for the 27th time, hailed as the Messiah of English cricket and will average 9.37!!! - Hey it happens every year, why not 8 years from now!

Cheers

Gonzo

 

[goatmaster]

Dipper,
The Poms are stuffed now . When they were in the shite they used to always bring back Cowdrey- no more a sad loss to cricket

------------------
Goatmaster
the prime minister of the principality of Mooball

 

[Dipper]

Shit Gonzo you must have one of those code breaking machines you've just sussed out our masterplan,oh well back to the drawing board perhaps Botham is up for a recall