World Cup 2019 – Three reasons why Windies can become three-time Champions
Five runs. This was the thin margin that helped Windies secure their World Cup 2019 berth. In the final qualifiers group game against Scotland, it was rain and dubious umpiring that ultimately confirmed the Caribbean presence during the flagship event. However, with solid performances behind them, Windies have risen to become one of the contenders.
Although Windies have not won any bilateral ODI series since the Qualifiers, they have been impressive in patches. At one point, they dominated India in India to level the series 1-1. More recently, Windies upstaged the world’s number one team England to hold them at 2-2. With the amount of talent in their limited overs squad, the maroon outfit can defeat any side on a given day.
Windies were the inaugural World Cup winners in 1975. They continued the winning streak in 1979 and lost in the 1983 tournament final. Since then 1996 World Cup has been their only semi-final appearance. With a fiery squad at their disposal, Windies will dream of reliving their lost glory days. Here are the reasons to support their case.
A captain who leads from the front:
After a string of disappointing results, the Windies Cricket Board decided to elevate 23-year old Jason Holder as the captain of the national team. In the 2015 World Cup, Windies qualified as the bottom-placed team from their group and were knocked out in the quarterfinal. With time, Holder has vastly improved. He is one of the most consistent performers of the side. His contributions with both bat and the ball have been essential in the rise of Windies. Holder has 119 ODI wickets to go with his seven half-centuries while batting in the lower-middle order.
The Gayle Storm:
Chris Gayle has already announced his plan of retiring from the ODIs post the 2019 World Cup. The 39-year old legend will be egged to give his best and take his team towards the trophy. Gayle already boasts of 10,000-plus runs in the 50-over format. He has scored 25 ODI centuries, one of which was the first double-century in World Cup history. Gayle’s 215 against Zimbabwe was a part of the world-record partnership of 372 runs with Marlon Samuels.
The Universe Boss has been phenomenal in T20 cricket and is rightly the first megastar of the format. Gayle will be hoping to leave a similar legacy in the ODIs with a few sterling knocks in the upcoming World up.
The mix of youth and experience:
The reigning T20 Champions have star players who participate in franchise cricket all over the world. The talent and pedigree of these cricketers is beyond argument. World Cup 2019 allows them an opportunity to come together and showcase their skills as a unit.
Windies batting lineup boasts of Shimron Hetmyer, Chris Gayle, Darren Bravo, Shai Hope, Evin Lewis and many others who can destroy any bowling attack single-handedly. Their pace bowling arsenal consists of Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel and the 22-year old Oshane Thomas. Devendra Bishoo and Ashley Nurse shall handle the spin department. Captain Jason Holder, Rovman Powell and Carlos Brathwaite will carry out the all-round duty.
