This was easily one of the most one-sided quarterfinals in cricket World Cup history and a sad end to what might have been a promising revival to West Indian cricket. In the end, it was an easy 10-wicket victory, with 30 overs to spare, for an extremely precise and clinical Pakistani team against the West Indies, the weakest of the Full Member teams.
The West Indies haven't won a series against any other Full Member team for over four years now, with the last victory coming against Sri Lanka back in 2007-2008. The architects in that victory were Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo and Chris Gayle. Four years and many new players later, the team still depends on the same players for any sort of inpiration.
Dwayne Bravo is the only real all-rounder to have come out of the West Indies in recent times, but unluckily had to leave the tournament with a knee injury. And the West Indies have missed his abilities, both with the ball and bat.
Heading the West Indies batting line-up is the "renegade from a dystopian future", Chris Gayle. He is cavalier and nonchalant in attitude, and worthy of destroying any bowling attack if he gets his eye in. But if he misses out, as he did today, the entire team does fall like a stack of cards, except of course if we have an in-form Chanderpaul. The great man has been for a while the only constancy amidst the decline in West Indian cricket, and the backbone of an inexperienced and fragile team.
But even Chanderpaul has been going through a lean patch of late, which only makes the already weak team perilously close to shattering under its own weight of technical ineptitude. He did choose today to stay unbeaten, painstakingly reaching 44 at a strike rate of less that 45: a slow torturous crawl to the end.
Article comments
1 - ZESHAN GULL
PAKISTAN PLAY VERY WELL TODAY
2 - Atif
The article seems to suggest that West Indies was no match and very weak team and which is why Pakistan won by 10 wickets.
What About humiliating defeat of Australia just in the last match? was Australia weak team too or was that a fluke that led this victory for Pakistan?
Mr. Chandra also suggest that India is "en equal match" while he forgets that Aussies won 7 out of 9 world cup matches against India..
So! if India is equal to Australia then it better not lose tonight..