The West Indies cricket team has gone through a rollercoaster of a time over the last few years. Following their inability to make advances in the ICC World Cup 2023 and being humiliated out of their own ICC T20 World Cup, the team’s woes have intensified. Their lowest point was in Sabina Park, where they were dismissed for a measly 27 runs — the second-lowest completed Test innings score in history — in the final Test against Australia. It sealed a 3–0 series whitewash and raised a huge alarm in the cricketing community.

This fall mirrors a larger failure in formats. The T20 domain, where explosive West Indian brilliance once reigned supreme, now sees several of their big-name players prioritising franchise leagues over national obligations. Former legend Brian Lara has not held back, blaming Cricket West Indies (CWI) for not providing proper incentives to keep star players. He directly targeted the board for not keeping Nicholas Pooran — a white-ball dynamo — interested in the international scene.

The sentiments of Brian Lara on the ‘Stick to Cricket’ podcast are underscored: “You’ve got the likes of Pooran, hard-hitting batsmen who retired at 29. And to be fair, it’s not that difficult to see why… There are five or six leagues out there in the world, and they can make a decent amount of money playing in them.” He continued: “I don’t think the West Indies Cricket Board… has done much actual to get players committed to West Indies cricket, as opposed to boards in places like England, Australia, or India.”

ALSO READ: Joe Root on Ben Stokes’ Captaincy: “He Didn’t Listen to Me” and What It Tells Us

He noted that it is not just the Caribbean: players such as Kane Williamson and Heinrich Klaasen have also left international cricket to pursue higher deals in other leagues.

The repercussions are dire. With the likes of Pooran, Klaasen, Williamson, and now Andre Russell leaving after just two T20Is against Australia, West Indies cricket is haemorrhaging talent. While the domestic boards elsewhere are crafting plans to reward loyalty, CWI is running to catch up.

Adding to the issue was the recent horror show of Test cricket. Australia’s Mitchell Starc served one of the most devastating spells of his life — six wickets for nine runs in 15 balls — while Scott Boland took a hat-trick, ripping apart the West Indies for 27 and sealing a 176-run victory. The team was bowled out in just 14.3 overs, with seven players failing even to reach double figures.

Against this backdrop, CWI has called for an emergency summit. Greats Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, and Brian Lara have been approached to guide rebuilding strategies, as well as veteran players like Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Desmond Haynes. They are going to diagnose the ailments that have plagued the system and outline a blueprint to return the team to its earlier world supremacy.

ALSO READ: Moeen Ali Defends Shubman Gill’s “Kohli‑Style” Fire: A Copy or Just Competitive Spirit?

To mount a comeback for West Indies cricket, several key steps are needed: attracting top players’ loyalty with better contracts and central support, strengthening domestic pathways, and building confidence at the international level. Franchise leagues can bring financial stability, but the heart and soul of cricket is playing for your nation — something the West Indies need to reclaim. If the West Indies fail to act quickly on player retention and national identity, they will continue to decline in the Test and T20 rankings. The Sabina Park innings has been a catastrophe, but it could be a turning point — a wake-up call that involves structural reform. Reuters