Current West Indies Test team: The real "champions"

[Sher Khan]

I personally enjoy watching the current team play. They are a bunch of talented players willing to fight it out for their country.

Their are no Dwayne bravos, pollards,gayles, and narines. The players that call themselves champions and think their superstars around the world with no real desire to play for their nation.

Well, for me I cannot be happier about their absence as they upset the team environment and carry an ego. The last thing we want is young hetmyer becoming a t20 mercenary.

I think the test team can become world class if they stick with the current squad. They are young and passionate an it is lovely to see them do well. They are the real "champions" in my eyes.

 

[big_gamer007]

Gayle and bravo have done a lot for WI.. They went to T20 leagues at end of their career. Pollard was never good enough for Test cricket..

In addition to that the WI cricket board makes PCB look professional so one can understand the frustration players had.. Current team did a great job and holder is a terrific player and mentor however to praise them you don't have to insult or put down former players..

 

[IAJ]

Good to see players from different regions (or Islands?) gel together and make each other good. The fast bowlers have been terrific, and the batsmen have made runs.

But Gayle and Bravo have done alot for windies, would be wrong to discredit their performances over the years.

 

[Sachin136]

At the end of the day, those "fake" champions won them a world cup, while these real champions are ranked #8 in tests.

They're definitely improving though.

 

[big_gamer007]

At the end of the day, those "fake" champions won them a world cup, while these real champions are ranked #8 in tests.

They're definitely improving though.

2 world cups

 

[topspin]

I personally enjoy watching the current team play. They are a bunch of talented players willing to fight it out for their country.

Their are no Dwayne bravos, pollards, gayles, and narines. The players that call themselves champions and think their superstars around the world with no real desire to play for their nation.

Well, for me I cannot be happier about their absence as they upset the team environment and carry an ego. The last thing we want is young hetmyer becoming a t20 mercenary.

I think the test team can become world class if they stick with the current squad. They are young and passionate an it is lovely to see them do well. They are the real "champions" in my eyes.

Chris Gayle is a legend of the game whether you like it or not.

In over 100 tests he averaged 42 at a brisk 60+ strike rate with 2 triple test hundreds as an opener who played 70-75% of his test career in the 2000s against some very high quality bowling attacks.

Your distaste of him doesn't change the fact that he's a bonafide test legend.

 

[Sachin136]

Chris Gayle is a legend of the game whether you like it or not.

In over 100 tests he averaged 42 at a brisk 60+ strike rate with 2 triple test hundreds as an opener who played 70-75% of his test career in the 2000s against some very high quality bowling attacks.

Your distaste of him doesn't change the fact that he's a bonafide test legend.

I wouldn't call him a test legend but, considering his T20 exploits, he's certainly an ATG. T20s are a vital part of the sport now whether someone likes it or not.

 

[topspin]

I wouldn't call him a test legend but, considering his T20 exploits, he's certainly an ATG. T20s are a vital part of the sport now whether someone likes it or not.

An ATG but not a test legend? Quite a contradiction that if you ask me. I agree T20 is an important format of cricket albeit the shortest format. Across all forms he is certainly a legend of the sport.

If he had played the bulk of his tests in the 2010s his average would be at least 45+ with perhaps an even higher SR. It is imperative to note opening the batting is the hardest position to bat because you are up against a hard new cherry against the best pace bowlers of the opposition from the get-go. You don't benefit from a foundation like the middle order batsmen do and nor do you benefit from starting your innings against an older + softer cricket ball with less fresh bowlers. Hence why opening batsmen generally have 10-15% lower averages than middle order players.

Now would you take a batsman who averages 42 with a strike rate of 60 or a batsman with an average of 50 but a SR of 40? A good way of assessing this would be to take the sum of the average and strike rate to form a batting index. Gayle's exceeds 100 while the higher averaging batsman with a slower strike rate is significantly lower accumulating a total of 90. A good example of a player with a batting index of around this number is Chanderpaul who is considered to be a test legend by pundits, so this also makes Gayle a legend in the longer format at the very least.

It's important also to distinguish between world class, legend and great. Gayle falls short of being a test great but he is certainly more than just a world class test batsman.

Furthermore Gayle is one of the only 4 or 5 players in the history of the sport to score two triple tons and none of them were scored against minnows - SL in 2010 and SA in 2005.

He has also scored heavily in tougher batting conditions and against ATG bowling attacks as evident by the following stats:

In Aus - Average: 49.89 @ SR of 68.65
In NZ - Average: 67.50 @ SR of 57.02
In SA - Average: 54.50 @ SR of 84.63

His legendary status couldn't be more any more emphatic and it would be ignorant to assume otherwise.

 

[shaaik]

They are a very good team in the making. The kind of talent that West Indies cricket produces year after year is envious to say the least. Hope they don't lose any more players to different leagues in the world.

 

[hadi123]

I think at home they are capable of beating any team in the World, if they have a full strength team. Very good to see them playing well.