Following West Indies’ crushing 3-0 Test series defeat at home to Australia, Cricket West Indies (CWI) President Dr. Kishore Shallow convened an emergency meeting with several legendary players in a bid to revive the team’s struggling Test performance—especially in the batting department.
Batting icons Brian Lara, Clive Lloyd, and Sir Viv Richards are expected to participate in the strategic discussions. They will be joined by fellow West Indies greats Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Desmond Haynes, and Ian Bradshaw on the Cricket Strategy and Officiating Committee. The committee’s aim is to evaluate the team’s recent “deeply disappointing” performances and chart a path forward.
“This engagement is not ceremonial,” Dr. Shallow emphasized in a statement.
“These are men who helped shape our golden eras, and their insights are crucial as we build the next chapter of West Indies cricket. We are seeking real, actionable recommendations from this initiative.”
The defeat to Australia appears to have been a tipping point. The team has not won a Test series in over two years—the last being a 1-0 win in Zimbabwe—and their most recent home series victory was a 2-0 result over Bangladesh three years ago.
Dr. Shallow acknowledged the team’s current transitional phase, stating that key investments and strategies are being made to restore the passion and dominance once synonymous with West Indies cricket.
“Progress is rarely a straight path,” he said. “It demands time, resilience, and faith—especially in the face of adversity. There’s a great deal of work ahead, but it must be done with unity and purpose.”
Recent performances have highlighted a worrying trend of batting collapses. Most notably, the team was bowled out for just 27 runs against Australia, narrowly avoiding the lowest total in Test cricket history. In that innings, completed in just 14.3 overs, the West Indies registered seven ducks—an unprecedented record in Tests. The top six batters managed only six runs combined, the lowest contribution by a top order in Test history.
Commentator and journalist Fazeer Mohammed described the collapse as “almost the perfect storm” in an interview with BBC Sport.
“You couldn’t script 27 all out, but given the state of West Indies cricket, this was an accident waiting to happen,” he said.
Mohammed also pointed to structural and financial issues plaguing Caribbean cricket.
“The costs of travel and hosting tournaments across multiple islands are significant. We need serious investment at the grassroots—schools, U-19s, U-23s—across both men’s and women’s cricket,” he explained.
“But more importantly, we must reaffirm that Test cricket still matters in the Caribbean.”
With no Test matches scheduled until October 2025—when they face a strong Indian side—the West Indies have time to reset. Their immediate focus will shift to limited-overs cricket, starting with a T20 series against Australia and a home ODI series against Pakistan.
Also read Pakistan Captain Salman Ali Agha Reflects on T20I Series Loss to Bangladesh
