Is West Indies’ 27 All Out a Reflection of Board Mismanagement
The West Indies cricket team has been going through turmoil, which was also seen when they got all out at 27 against Australia in Home Tests. This now puts some serious questions on the Board management and how it led to the turn of events for the team.
West Indies, a team which dominated in International cricket for several years, now struggles to perform even at their home ground. During the third and final Test match against Australia, which was played in Sabina Park, the West Indies got all out at the score of 27, even though they were holding a home ground advantage.
This was not just a loss for the West Indies; it was also heartbreaking for all the cricket fans who had watched this team dominate as they grew up. From winning the T20 World Cup 2016, to not even qualifying for the 2023 World Cup, 2025 Champions Trophy, and the playoffs of the T20 World Cup 2024.
The West Indies cricket team is facing turmoil, as various fans and enthusiasts think it is the cricket board which is responsible for the same. This year, there have been a number of notable stars, such as Nicholas Pooran and Andre Russell, who have announced their retirement from the international formats.
Their retirements now add more to the wounds of the West Indies cricket board, with their experienced players not playing for the team, and the new players struggling to perform well. It is also being said that the involvement of players in the T20 Leagues across the world has also been the reason behind the downfall of the West Indies team.
Let’s take a look at the list of events which took place in the West Indies team and whether they reflect poor management or not.
Nicholas Pooran Retires
Nicholas Pooran, the power hitter in the T20 format, marked an end to his international career in 2025. He has been one of the finest stars for the West Indies cricket team, and with the announcement of his retirement at such a young age, various questions were raised on the board management.
| Format | Matches | Innings | Not Out | Runs | High Score | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODIs | 61 | 58 | 8 | 1983 | 118 | 39.66 | 99.15 | 3 | 11 |
| T20Is | 106 | 97 | 10 | 2275 | 98 | 26.14 | 136.39 | 0 | 13 |
Nicholas Pooran has represented the West Indies team in the T20I and ODI formats since 2016, and was often seen as a lone warrior for the team’s middle-order batting line-up. From being a part of the team’s T20 line-up in 2016 to making his debut in the ODI format in 2019, the journey was filled with success for Pooran.
He was seen as a proper T20 batsman by the selectors, having played 106 matches and scoring 13 half-centuries with a strike rate above 135. But with Pooran suddenly announcing his retirement, it was clear that he might be facing some issues with the Board.
Although the West Indies cricket team was facing a downward spiral, Pooran held his hopes high to represent the nation. After the West Indies were not qualified for the 2023 World Cup, he thought of focusing more on the upcoming T20 World Cups, but things didn’t go his way. Pooran dominated for West Indies in the 2024 T20 World Cup, still the team didn’t reach the playoffs.
The year 2024 was, without any doubt, his best year, as Pooran dominated across the limited-overs format. He also created the record for most sixes in a calendar year, by smashing 170 sixes in 2024. With his retirement, fans also questioned the West Indies Cricket Board, as most of them think his retirement came to focus more on the T20 Leagues.
Nicholas Pooran still remains an active part of several T20 leagues taking place across the world, such as IPL, Major League Cricket, International League T20, Caribbean Premier League, Men’s Hundred, Big Bash League, and many more. In the T20 format, he has now played 411 matches and scored 9526 runs at an average of 29.67, with 4 centuries and 58 half-centuries.
27 All Out Triggers Board Panic
The Australia tour of the West Indies will surely be one to remember for both teams, as one of them got their best start to the new World Test Championship cycle. The other suffered a devastating loss at their home. The West Indies team had been on a downward spiral, but no one imagined how far it would go until the final Test against Australia.
| West Indies vs Australia, 3rd Test, Kingston | |
|---|---|
| 1st Innings | |
| Australia: 225 (70.3 Overs) | West Indies: 143 (52.1 Overs) |
| Steven Smith: 48 (66) | John Campbell: 36 (65) |
| Shamar Joseph: 4/33 | Scott Boland: 3/34 |
| 2nd Innings | |
| Australia: 121 (37 Overs) | West Indies: 27 (14.3 Overs) |
| Cameron Green: 42 (66) | Justin Greaves: 11 (24) |
| Alzarri Joseph: 5/27 | Mitchell Starc: 6/9 |
| Australia won by 176 Runs | |
With the match being played with a pink ball and being a day-night Test, West Indies were able to dominate the Australian batsmen with the ball. Australia were bowled out for 225 runs in the first innings, which was followed by 121 all out in their second innings.
But the challenges arose when the team came to bat, as they were bowled out for 143 runs in their first innings. Following this, Australia had given them the target of 204, which may seem achievable, considering their home ground advantage. However, they got all out at the score of just 27, making their names among the history books of unwanted records.
But this is not just the only disappointing loss the team has suffered over the past few weeks; it has been going on for a long time. The team that had won the T20 World Cup in 2016 was not able to reach the playoffs when it hosted the T20 World Cup in 2024. Along with that, the team that won two consecutive World Cups in 1975 and 1979 was not a part of the previous World Cup.
With the team’s performance falling apart, the Test match against Australia suffered as a final blow, which woke up the management. Eventually, an emergency meeting was called upon by the West Indies Cricket Board, and it had the main objective to discuss the team’s future and how the team could be pulled out of this turmoil.
Following the loss, players like Brian Lara, Viv Richards, and Clive Lloyd were also called upon by the cricket board for the meeting. Some fans and analysts also say that the involvement of Brian Lara, Viv Richards, and Clive Lloyd would help to shape the future of the West Indies cricket team and keep its dominant form alive.
However, Brian Lara, a former West Indies player, had already predicted that such turmoil would take place in the team. In a podcast, he said:
You have a lot of guys who are deciding on what to do with their careers. You have your aggressive players like Pooran who retired at 29. And honestly, it’s pretty clear why they did. There are five or six leagues around the world, and they’re able to make a substantial amount of money playing in them.
Brian Lara also said that the West Indies cricket board has not done anything to keep their players loyal, which has resulted in players giving more priority to the cricket leagues. He continued by saying that the players nowadays are using the West Indies T20 team as a platform to gain T20 League contracts and announce their retirement.
Russell Announces Retirement
Recently, one of the oldest stars of the West Indies cricket team, Andre Russell, also announced his retirement from the International format. Andre Russell has confirmed that the second T20I match against Australia will also be his final international match for the West Indies cricket team. Aged 37, it was clear among the fans that he would be announcing his retirement anytime soon.
| Format | Matches | Innings | Not Out | Runs | High Score | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2.00 | 22.22 | 0 | 0 |
| ODIs | 56 | 47 | 9 | 1034 | 92* | 27.21 | 130.22 | 0 | 4 |
| T20Is | 84 | 73 | 24 | 1078 | 71 | 22.00 | 163.08 | 0 | 3 |
But it should be noted that Russell made his debut for the West Indies cricket team back in 2010, and has played for approximately 15 years on the international side. Still, his number of matches played remains less, as he holds one test, 56 ODIs, and 84 T20I matches for the team.
On various occasions, he was not selected for the team due to inconsistent performances, but after that, when he became a crucial part of the line-up, he also became more attracted to the T20 leagues. This became one of the major reasons behind Russell’s unavailability for the West Indies cricket team in the international matches.
| Format | Matches | Innings | Wickets | BBI | Average | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1/73 | 104.00 | 4.52 |
| ODIs | 56 | 55 | 70 | 4/35 | 31.84 | 5.84 |
| T20Is | 84 | 73 | 61 | 3/19 | 30.59 | 9.30 |
The decision of his retirement came immediately after the West Indies cricket board called for an emergency meeting. Now, with his retirement, the tensions within the West Indies board have risen, with senior players marking their retirement and junior players focusing more on the T20 leagues. The question now remains about the future of the International team.
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