On the evidence of all that has been said coming out of Australia, the West Indies cricket team appears to be sitting ducks in the three-Test series which starts tomorrow (tonight T&T time) in Brisbane.

Almost all the pundits and analysts have come pretty close to writing off the Caribbean team, which has been plagued with on and off the field problems for the better part of the last 12 months. This has left a pick-up West Indies team, led by Floyd Reifer, representing the West Indies at the ICC limited overs tournament, and subsequently a home series against Bangladesh, with the visitors enjoying their first series win against an international team in both Test and One-Day tournaments.
It also meant that the front-line West Indies players were out of first class action for over a year, thus further fuelling the view that their preparations to play against a team which, up to one year ago, was the number one team in the world was inadequate. The picture gets worse when one considers that in the only warm-up fixture, a Queensland team, which included several debutants, restricted the West Indies to 271 and then went on to amass over 700 runs before declaring, with three of their batsmen scoring maiden first class hundreds.

It is hardly consolation that the West Indies lost its captain, Chris Gayle, who had to return home to be at the side of his ailing mother in Jamaica and missed the game. Gayle returned to Australia last night and is expected to be at the front, leading his team in tonight’s encounter—a clear indication of the lack of depth within the West Indian ranks today. In the era when West Indies was dominant, it would have been inconceivable for any player to spend the amount of time which Gayle did in the air and simply walk into a team for a Test match. Be that as it may, this current team has very little choice since Gayle remains its most inspirational player and his mere presence is certain to add an ounce or two of encouragement to his teammates. It seems almost certain that talented opener Adrian Barath will be the man accompanying Gayle as the opening batsmen and the region will be hoping that Barath and some of the younger players, particularly Kemar Roach, the latest fast bowling prospect, will signal that they are ready to lead the charge for the rebirth of West Indies cricket.

Both Barath and Roach enjoyed good performances in the Queensland game and would be hoping to continue their rise against an Australian team that has not really been setting the world on fire within recent times.
Indeed, Ricky Ponting’s men recently lost the Ashes series to England and will be without several of the key players who helped make Australia the number one team in the world. There is the view that the Aussies possess a never-ending supply of talent and once the opportunity presents itself their younger players rise to the occasion. But the truth is the Australian cricketers are no longer world beaters. This recognition must form the basis of the West Indies challenge. In Gayle, Sarwan and Chanderpaul the West Indies has dynamism, class and solidity. In Ramdin and Bravo, there is level-headedness, while Barath and Roach provide potential.

Will that be enough to beat an Australian team playing at home and biting at the bit to re-establish itself? The analysts seem dismissive of such an equation and clearly believe it will be one-way traffic, all heading in the Australian direction. It has been said that cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties. West Indians will be hoping that this proves to be more than a cliche by the end of this series.