A Blueprint for West Indies Cricket to Return to the Top of the Test Tree

There was a time when the West Indies were the dominant force in international cricket. 

With a battery of fast bowlers and batsmen who could make opposing attacks go weak at the knees, they were undoubtedly the No. 1 nation. Touring the Caribbean was so tough that it should have come with a health warning.

They won the Cricket World Cup in 1975 and 1979, only missing out on a hat-trick of triumphs when they suffered an upset loss to India in the 1983 final at Lord's.

In 1984, West Indies won 11 Tests in a row. They weren't just padding their stats either—Australia and England were their opponents during the streak.

West Indies remained strong into the early 1990s, but the cracks had already started to show. They fell from their lofty perch and currently sit eighth in the ICC Test rankings.

The conveyor belt that produced a seemingly endless line of pacemen has broken down. Their batters, while still aggressive, were good to watch but capable of collapsing in a hurry.

But after a drawn series with England on home soil, perhaps there are a few positive signs to suggest West Indies cricket could be set to grow again.

So, how can they be lifted out of the doldrums? Here's a blueprint to help them become successful again.

Pitch preparation

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Tony Cozier, a longtime commentator and writer on West Indies cricket, has seen all of the highs and suffered through all of the lows.

Writing for ESPN Cricinfo, he said after the second Test against England, "The most pressing cricketing issue, among a host of others, is pitches, both at regional and international level. For several years, they have aided spinners to an unfair and damaging extent."

In their heyday, West Indies played on surfaces that offered pace and bounce.

While facilities, not to mention finances, may be an issue these days, Cozier is right to point out the need for wickets to offer a fair balance between bat and ball.

Pace is a necessity. Not only does it encourage seam bowlers to bend their backs, but it also gives batsmen the chance to get full value for their shots.

In contrast, slow, low pitches do little to aid player development. Spinners are the only bowlers who can thrive, and West Indian cricketers are not prepared for what they will encounter overseas (when they're not touring in the subcontinent).

It is a damning statistic that the once-powerful West Indies have won just three Tests—all against Bangladesh—away from home since the start of 2010.

Pick your best players

While West Indies' Test team were in action against England, several West Indians were displaying their skills in the Indian Premier League.

Per Scyld Berry in the Telegraph, nine players from the Caribbean were playing for teams in the IPL.

That list includes Chris Gayle, who ruled himself out of Test contention due to a bad back, per Gideon Brooks of the Daily Express (though he was fit to play Twenty20 cricket instead).

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Dwayne Bravo is also in India, though he announced his retirement from the longest form of the game at the start of the year at the age of 31.

Even coach Phil Simmons' nephew, Lendl Simmons, is turning out for the Mumbai Indians right now.

West Indies need their best players available for selection. What they wouldn’t give for Bravo or Andre Russell, another all-rounder currently contracted to the IPL, in their Test XI to provide some much-needed balance to the side.

Add Gayle or even Lendl Simmons at the top of the order, next to the promising Kraigg Brathwaite, and the team immediately look stronger.

Consistency of selection

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Clive Lloyd knows what it takes to be a great team—he was captain of the West Indies when they began to rule the cricketing world and lifted the World Cup twice.

Now, as chief selector, he is charged with the responsibility of helping lift them out of the basement. He and his panel have to identify those in the domestic game who can go on and prosper at the highest level. 

Simmons, as coach, must then nurture the talent. He and captain Denesh Ramdin have to be patient, knowing that positive results will not happen suddenly.

That means individuals must get a fair crack of the whip.

For example, Shai Hope was selected for the final Test of the series against England. It did not go swimmingly for the young batsman from Barbados, however, as he managed 14 runs in his two innings.

But at the age of 21, Hope has to be given a chance to acclimatise. If he has been marked as a player of real promise, the least he deserves is an extended run in the team.

It is time West Indies turned their back on some familiar faces, those who have been persistently picked but have consistently failed, and instead build for the future.

Sharing the work

The most pleasing thing about West Indies' performances against England was the responsibility taken by some of their young players.

They had four players hit centuries, and, surprisingly, Shivnarine Chanderpaul was not one of them.

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Jermaine Blackwood reached three figures in the first Test. He also helped steer his side over the finishing line during a tricky fourth-innings run chase in the series finale in Barbados.

Jason Holder made his maiden hundred in the opening match, standing tall (easy to do when you're 6'7") to defy England on the last day in Antigua. In helping his team survive to scrape a draw, Holder showed he has not only the talent to succeed, but also the temperament.

Had he not done so, and had Blackwood not dug in at Bridgetown at the end of the series, the final outcome would have been much, much different.

At 40, Chanderpaul's days are nearly done. It is time for a new generation to shoulder the burden of scoring the runs.

Get the fans going

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The Caribbean is a fabulous tour—and not just for players. Supporters get to enjoy some sun, sea and sand, plus the odd glass of rum, making it a pleasant trip no matter what the outcome of the cricket is.

Part of the attraction is also the home support. West Indians are passionate and proud, and they do not take defeat lightly.

There have been some characters involved with the game in the region. Antigua is the home of Gravy, a man so famous for his antics that he has his own profile on ESPN Cricinfo.

What the current West Indies squad must do is play a brand of cricket on better pitches to attract fans.

It does them no harm to show a bit of passion on the field. To that extent, Marlon Samuels’ run-in with England’s Ben Stokes in the second Test in Grenada was good to see. It's not often you see someone (Samuels) salute a departing batsman (Stokes) from the crease.

Simmons faces a big task to try to turn things around. It is a long road back to the top, but the international game would be better off with a strong West Indies team.