Caribbean cricket hit a new low on Saturday (July 1) as they were eliminated from the upcoming ODI World Cup race after a seven-wicket thrashing at the hands of Scotland in the third match of the Super Six round of the World Cup 2023 Qualifiers.
The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, slated to be held in India from October 5 to November 19, will be the first edition to not feature the West Indies, who won the first two editions of the tournament in 1975 and 1979.
After the disappointing result, West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder admitted that it was one of the "lowest points" in his career but expressed optimism for the future.
Holder emphasized the need for investment in the lower levels of cricket to provide a solid foundation for aspiring players.
"I don't think all is lost. There's a lot of young guys in the group who can definitely develop and turn things around for West Indies cricket," Holder said at the post-match press conference.
"We've got a young crop of players and we've got to put some support around them. It's really important that we try to utilise time outside of competition and put things in place where we can develop our talent.
"We have to look at the levels below and improve them so that when guys get here, they have a good foundation. It's an area we need to pay some special attention to. It's not a quick fix. It's something we need to spend time on. Development is the most important thing. Hopefully in the next couple of years we can see the fruits of that crop," he added.
Holder highlighted the importance of unity in driving the region's cricket forward.
"We've all got to do it. It's not an individual thing, it's not a territorial thing, we've got to come together as a region and really think about how we want to go forward as a group and make it happen," he stated.
The two-time champions were totally outplayed by Scotland in what was a must-win game for them, having lost to Zimbabwe and Netherlands in the group stage of the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers.
Invited to bat first, West Indies’ innings folded for a paltry 181 in 43.5 overs. It was a listless batting performance as no one managed to hit a half-century. Jason Holder was the top scorer with 45.
In reply, Scotland rode on half-centuries from Matthew Cross (74*) and Brandon McMullen (69) to overhaul the target with 39 deliveries to spare.
"It's disappointing, especially after last year's effort in the T20 (World Cup). I've had the luxury of playing in two fifty-over World Cups before and some T20 World Cups. There are special occasions so this one will hurt as the one last year did," Holder said.
(India Today Inputs)
