By Sriram Veera From Indian Express

It’s us, the almost-forty and above generation that is to be blamed for this miserable mediocrity of West Indies cricket. It’s us — and the ‘us’ refers to people outside the Caribbean — who raved them being our second-favourite team that’s to be blamed, surely?

We’re the nostalgia-worshippers, the ones who fell in love with the game because of the mindblowing way the West Indians played their game. And what did we do out of that misplaced gratitude? Turned a bunch of mediocre players into poster boys of cool. We sat there saying the wheel will turn again and allowed this mindless, mind-numbing mediocrity to pass off as something ‘hip’ and ‘Caribbean’.

All this shouldn’t be surprising for the younger lot or the ones among us with some sense, but there you go. I have been to the Caribbean in 2011. No one was playing cricket in the beaches and it felt as I was denied a bit of my own past. Delusion and romantic nostalgia can hamper rationality.

Leaking 393 runs wasn’t the crime. A team having a bad day coupled with some once-in-a-lifetime innings from someone can do that, but it was their sleepwalking in the field that got the goat. Who was the captain? Who was in charge? Darren Sammy buried his head in his palms at least twice; often he would shout to Jason Holder to change a field placing, something obvious, but it wasn’t so obvious after all. From behind the stumps, Denesh Ramdin tried to place the field a couple of times before he gave up. Chris Gayle too tried once or twice before he decided to focus his mind elsewhere. By the end, they were a ragged and rudderless unit.

And the fielding? How atrocious was that. They used to be so great once even in this department. Back-slapping, clapping, laughing, side-arm flicking, gum-chewing, swaggering, harassing the hell out of the batsmen and then we got this messy jumble of mediocrity. There I go again, back into nostalgia.

Luckily, at least Gayle showed some spine in batting, biffing and bashing for a few minutes that would hopefully not be used to say, if only we had 300 to chase, we could have done it. Not a chance in hell.

And what can you say about Gayle. Nothing against him for the stand-off against the inept West Indies board for his rights, as he did a couple of years ago, but he has played a part in triggering this culture of ‘coolness’ which lesser players than him have latched on to.

Thank god for You Tube and the sunny memories that it streams out. However, to resort to that video site every time one wants some pleasant images from the second-favourite team does say something surely.

Fidel Castro once asked the veteran Caribbean broadcaster Reds Pereira why they were so obsessed with cricket? And Rex quietly said, ‘what baseball is to Cuba, cricket is to West Indies’. “He got it,” Reds said.

We are the ones who have turned this brand of cricket into a capitalist freak show. Well Kerry Packer did it first, but back then cricket had the calypso magic; in our desperation to hold on to our own past, we, the forty-somethings have tried to blow life into embers. How idiotic of us. It’s not them; it’s us. It’s a good break-up line and perhaps most apt as well in this context.

For more on this story go to: http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/all-that-is-so-cool-about-caribbean-cricket-is-really-uncool/

Related story:

Martin Guptill blasts double century as New Zealand beat West Indies to reach Cricket World Cup semifinals

By Mark Geenty From Stuff Co. NZ

A record-breaking innings by Martin Guptill sets the West Indies an incredible 394 runs to win.

It didn’t seem right to simply label this a Cricket World Cup quarterfinal. The whirlwind that hit Westpac Stadium contained the Harlem Globetrotters of cricket in a Twenty20 match on steroids, as New Zealand won by 143 runs. Victory over West Indies, and direct passage to Auckland for a blockbuster semifinal against South Africa on Tuesday, was hardly in doubt from the point Martin Guptill reached his seventh one-day international century, off a sedate 111 deliveries.

Then it all just went a bit crazy at the Cake Tin. And so did the packed house of 30,268, screaming and chanting Guptill’s name and almost lifting the roof, which he clattered with one of his 11 sixes, a 110-metre monster strike. Add his name to the honour roll of Craig McMillan, Michael Lumb and Colin Munro among those who sat a white Kookaburra on the hot tin roof in Wellington.

Guptill obliterated record after record and just kept swinging for an unbeaten 237 off 163 balls, the innings of his life that most adjectives didn’t do justice to. He broke his own New Zealand ODI record of 189 not out, against England in Southampton in June 2013, and joined Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Chris Gayle and Rohit Sharma as those to top 200 in an ODI. Only Sharma’s 264 for India against Sri Lanka in Kolkata last year sits ahead of him.

Then there were the spectacular subplots in the Black Caps’ ninth ODI victory in succession and seventh at the tournament where they and India remain unbeaten.

Guptill was dropped third ball by Marlon Samuels at square leg, a low, very catchable chance that now stands as the most expensive miss of all time. New Zealand launched to their third-highest total, 393-6 as Guptill then gave the crowd catching practice. Then there were eight huge sixes from a pained Gayle, a stunning one-handed catch from a sprightly 36-year-old Daniel Vettori and a rapid Trent Boult spell of 4-44 that launched him past Mitchell Starc to the top of the wicket charts with 19 at 14.63.

We need to take a breath. Now two confident units collide at Eden Park where South Africa await, rejuvenated by their Sri Lankan demolition. On this performance and home advantage the Black Caps go in as favourites but the postcard ground’s ability to throw up thrilling finishes means Tuesday won’t be for the faint hearted. Their title hopes still appear as strong as ever, with South Africa and Australia not looking as invincible as they once did.

Captain Brendon McCullum chose to bat first, a surprise given the way his swing men demolished England at their last visit. But, much like most of McCullum’s calls this tournament, it came off spectacularly even if he didn’t. Attack at all costs with bat and ball, and keep it going in ruthless waves is the golden ticket.

Guptill had gone 21 ODI innings between centuries, then went back to back after his breakout Bangladesh ton in Hamilton. It wasn’t even the Guptill of old. As his batting mentor Martin Crowe put it, this was Guptill the new after they’d broken down and rebuilt his technique last winter.

Now, when McCullum and Kane Williamson score 45 between them, there’s no panic.

Guptill and his great mate Ross Taylor added 143 off 135 balls to set up the final frenzy, where a staggering 206 runs came off the last 15 overs. Taylor’s 42 off 61 was second-highest score.

Guptill’s third 50 came up off 23 balls, his fourth off 18. No batsman had topped 150 in a World Cup knockout match. Having unfurled some delightful straight drives and deft cuts off the spinners, pure power took over in everyone’s favourite six hit, the clatter over cow corner.

West Indies heads slumped, arms waved and boots kicked at the turf. The fielding was ragged. Andre Russell conceded the four that raised Guptill’s double century and ended with 2-96, while new ball pair Jerome Taylor and Jason Holder each went at close to 10 an over.

Gayle had no other option, in what could be his farewell ODI. With his chronic back injury he could barely run, but could still swing, and he went out with a bang with 61 off 33. He took 21 off one Vettori over including three big sixes, before Adam Milne snuck one through at 149kmh.

Samuels took 21 off a Tim Southee over then was mortified to see Vettori leap and clutch a stunner on the third man boundary that saw him mobbed. Boult bowled like the wind and got some swing at 145kmh to rip through the top order and ensure no false hope for the visitors. He will be vital against the Proteas and they will remember his busy haul of 5-51 in their February warmup match.

IMAGES:

MAN OF THE HOUR: Martin Guptill raises his bat to celebrate his first 100 of the day. Getty Images

DOING HIS BIT: Ross Taylor of New Zealand sweeps the ball away for four.

Hannah Peters/Getty Images

TAKE THAT: Martin Guptill hits a delivery for four. Getty Images

RED HOT: Trent Boult of New Zealand celebrates after claiming the wicket of Denesh Ramdin. Hannah Peters/Getty Images

For more on this story and video go to: http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/67468853/martin-guptill-blasts-double-century-as-new-zealand-beat-west-indies-to-reach-cricket-world-cup-semifinals