By Orin Davidson
Given the bizarre nature of the T20 cricket World Cup’s points system format, West Indies’ final Group C game against Afghanistan, has been reduced to one of academic interest tomorrow.
As a result, if the team’s think tank is serious about winning the T20 World Cup title, they will use that clash to prepare for the more testing challenges that await in the Super 8 round.
Although both teams are unbeaten with three wins each in their three matches so far, with one remaining, Afghanistan has been adjudged Group winner having qualified at the expense of higher pre- competition seeded New Zealand.
With West Indies labeled the second of the group’s two seeds behind New Zealand, Afghanistan’s upset defeat of the former, who also lost to West Indies and were subsequently eliminated, allowed the Asian side to secure the Kiwis’ top ranking in advancing.
So, instead of West Indies and the fast improving former Associate Member team, having a royal battle in the group’s final fixture to determine the group winner, as would be the case in any other non-ICC competition, the clash will peter out into a warm-up for the Super 8, with the placings already determined.
Adding to the confusion and folly of the system, where the seedings were probably done months prior to the first ball being bowled, the current world ranking has West Indies well above New Zealand and Afghanistan at number three with the other two teams at # 6 and #10 respectively. As Don King, once the world’s premier boxing promoter would proclaim in selling his box office productions, “Only in America”, “Only with the ICC” would be apt in this case to describe the world ruling body’s obtuse decision making.
Nevertheless, West Indies has the opportunity to improve its batting to counter the likes of South Africa and likely England among others in the Super 8s Group 2.
Therefore, it is imperative the wobbly lineup be altered, meaning the struggling Johnson Charles be benched to make way for Shai Hope at the top of the order. Sentiment and politics, which ought not be influential in any sphere of endeavor of a serious nature, should be furthest from the minds of St Lucia –born coach Darren Sammy and his team when they decide on the final 11 for tomorrow’s encounter.
The Darren Sammy Stadium is in Charles’ home territory in St Lucia, where he has a stand named in his honor and could be the lone active player in world cricket to play in a facility with his affixed to one component . But the business of winning must be of utmost importance and the petty platitudes be ignored in the chase for T20 championship glory.
Charles’ hit or miss style of play has been exposed in the three matches so far, making him a failure with two ducks and a fortuitous 42-ball 44, the latter aided by two chances against Papua New Guinea He is not by means the lone disappointment in the lineup so far but is easiest to replace given the team circumstances at present.
Also, his confidence was at its lowest ebb, evident in the field when he dropped a sitter of a catch and misjudged another, both on the boundary against New Zealand.
Nicolas Pooran, Rovman Powell and Brandon King were sub- par as well, but bring better value in other areas and have been more consistent in scoring in the recent past. But they all have to up their game against better bowling in the Super 8 round as the penchant to play across the line aided by poor shot selection displayed against Papua New Guinea, Uganda and New Zealand, almost ruined their campaign. The swinging ball from the seamers, have continued to embarrass the technique -deficient home team batsmen. At this stage West Indies, has nothing to lose using Hope, at the top of the order as Charles’ replacement. And going up against Afghanistan with nothing much to play for, should be ideal for him to build on the 150-strike rate he attained in nine games in the just concluded Indian Premier League (IPL).
Shurfane Rutherford’s brilliant one-man show made all the difference in stopping New Zealand, but the early struggles that which left West Indies faltering at 63-5 at one stage and 97-5 versus Papua New Guinea, are evidence enough the team are surviving on its bowling strength.
Unheralded Papua New Guinea’s Alei Nao, displayed the skill to in-swing and out-swing his gentle medium pacers, but it was enough to get rid of Charles and would’ve removed Pooran early as well had the umpire not blundered a straight forward decision.
The pitch at the stadium in St Lucia has a reputation of liveliness and if grass is left as has been the policy so far for some of the strips in the Region, Afghanistan’s duo of Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen Ul Haq will be swinging it like lassos. Farooqi has emerged out of the blue to lead the wickets tally in the entire competition and when Afghanistan’s new captain and spin wizard Rashid Khan is added , the home team’s batsmen will consider scoring more than 160 a moral victory.
West Indies has been bailed out by the continued bowling brilliance of Gudakesh Motie and consistent value added by Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Roston Chase, Andre Russell and to a lesser extent Romario Shepherd.
But they alone are unlikely to be enough to rally past South Africa, possibly England among others in Round Two, in West Indies’ quest for more T20 title glory. The batsmen have to stand up and be counted.
