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Return of the Calypso Kings
On a typically cold English day came an incredible win. And perhaps one that could be the start of the resurrection of West Indies cricket.
On a typically cold English day came an incredible win. And perhaps one that could be the start of the resurrection of West Indies cricket.
In conditions so dismal that sometimes it was a wonder that the ball could be seen, the West Indies kept their tryst with destiny and lifted their first world-level trophy in 25 years.
And to be fair to the West Indies, they richly deserved to be champions. They played with ebullient spirit and gritty commitment.
On the way to the Champions Trophy final, they brushed aside Bangladesh, South Africa and Pakistan in professional style and in the face of constant criticism from their former players.
They came into the final as the absolute underdogs and gave themselves hope with a disciplined bowling performance, fantastic fielding and spirited batting.
Their rivals, England had displayed a rare spirit during the tournament, but inexplicably reverted to batting like the sluggish English teams of a couple of years ago. But despite their poor performance, they put up the kind of target (218) that was not easy to get, given the cloudy conditions.
