The views expressed herein are solely those of the writer.
By Adrian Odle.
In the Caribbean, cricket is far more than a sport; it is a living, albeit barely breathing, monument to struggle, pride, and resistance. The West Indies cricket team, whose rise from colonial obscurity to world domination symbolized the Caribbean’s journey from slavery to freedom. As the region commemorates Emancipation (the end of legal slavery), there are few symbols more potent than the Maroon shirt of the West Indies team: it speaks of unity, hope, and the pursuit of dignity for our black people in the region.
Yet, in 2025, West Indies cricket faces its gravest crisis in decades, raising urgent questions about black identity, collective purpose, and the future of Caribbean pride.
The founding of the West Indies Cricket Board in the 1920s and the team’s elevation to Test status in 1928 awoke something in the region.
Cricket, for Caribbean people, became an arena where black men could challenge and defeat the colonial master on a global stage.
Throughout the 20th century, West Indies cricket was a stage for asserting black dignity. The appointment of Frank Worrell as the first black captain in 1960 was a seismic moment, breaking a tradition of white leadership and signaling new confidence across the islands. Under Worrell and then the legendary Garfield Sobers, the Windies team became a metaphor for resistance and black excellence.
Let us remember the golden era of the 1970s and ’80s, when names like Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, and Malcolm Marshall struck fear into opponents. Their dominance was not just athletic; it was political and cultural, proof that the descendants of slaves could be the best in the world at what had once been the master’s game.
As Professor Hilary Beckles writes, “Every West Indies victory was an act of defiance against centuries of racial subjugation and social exclusion. Cricket fields became sites of emancipation.” The 1976 “grovel” tour, when Viv Richards’ team crushed England after being told to “grovel” by Tony Greig, remains one of the most powerful retorts to racism in sporting history.
It is with great disappointment that I say West Indies cricket has turned into a shell of its former self. The 1990s saw retirements of legendary figures, poor infrastructure, and growing player-board disputes. The rise of lucrative T20 franchise leagues, especially the IPL, pulled top players away from national service, severely weakening regional unity and identity in the name of the almighty dollar.
In July 2025, the crisis reached its ultimate low. The West Indies suffered their lowest-ever Test innings, bowled out for just 27 runs against Australia at Sabina Park. This was not just a cricketing embarrassment; it symbolized the erosion of confidence, cohesion, and pride that had once made the team a beacon for black dignity. The humiliation provoked an emergency summit of cricketing greats, with calls for urgent reform in one shape or the other.
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