West Indies cricket have launched an urgent review after being skittled for the second lowest ever Test total by Australia on Monday.
Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland ran through the brittle Windies line-up and reduced it to 27 all out.
Only a Sam Konstas misfield late in the piece allowed the West Indies to avoid being bowled out for 26 – which would be the equal lowest ever Test score, still held by New Zealand in 1955.
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It proved a nightmare series for batters in general, as no one managed to reach triple figures and fast bowlers wreaked havoc in the Caribbean.
But in the immediate aftermath of Monday’s batting catastrophe, the West Indies powerbrokers have called in the nation’s biggest legends to help find a solution.
West Indies’ Jayden Seales walks off the field after his side’s loss against Australia. AP
Sir Viv Richards, Sir Clive Lloyd and Brian Lara – who Cricket West Indies president Dr Kishore Shallow labelled their “greatest batsmen ever” – will join Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Desmond Haynes, and Ian Bradshaw on a strategy committee.
“This engagement is not ceremonial,” a statement from Dr Shallow on Monday said.
“These are men who helped define our golden eras, and their perspectives will be invaluable as we shape the next phase of our cricket development.
“We intend for this gathering to result in tangible, actionable recommendations.
“Progress is rarely straightforward. It takes time, perseverance and belief, especially in our most difficult moments.
“There is much work to be done. But we must do it with purpose, and we must do it together.”
Dr Shallow says the Windies are well and truly in a “rebuilding phase” and the plan is to restore the “spirit that has long made West Indies cricket a force in the world”.
The Test team has series against India and New Zealand coming up.
West Indies legend Carl Hooper is not so optimistic about the future of the Test team unless coach Darren Sammy is axed and former coach Andre Coley is brought back.
Hooper says “heads should roll” and thinks it was a mistake to replace Coley with Sammy in the first place.
“It’s been so disappointing,” Hooper told ABC Sport on Monday.
“I’m so upset because I think we were building a good thing a few years ago, the boys came out here (to Australia), had a fantastic drawn Test match and had a win in Brisbane, then went to Pakistan and drew 1-all – fantastic results.
“Then we had wholesale changes, and to see this as the end result, what we’ve done the last two-three years in trying to build something has just sort of gone up in flames today.
West Indies teammates walk to the pavilion after Australia’s win. AP
“We were building something under the former coach, Andre Coley, who we removed, the new head coach Darren Sammy was our white ball coach… you take one step forward and two steps back.
“Where do you go from here? It’s not as if we can see some light at the end of the tunnel.
“Someone has got to be answerable… (Sammy) is the only selector. He’s got all the power, so he has got to be held accountable.
“I know that’s not going to happen, they’re not going to remove him.
“Where does West Indies cricket go from here? I don’t know.”
