West Indies skipper Shai Hope was left disappointed with the team's performance after their loss in the final T20I of the series against Australia. Windies were blanked 5-0 by the Australian side in the T20I series, as they failed to show up with both bat and ball in the majority of their games. Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Hope said that the team never really gave themselves a chance to succeed in the series.
The loss in the T20I series comes on the back of a terrible 0-3 loss in the red-ball format, where the hosts were blown away by Australia's pace battery. In the Test series, Windies recorded their lowest ever innings total — 27 — in the final Test match of the series.
Known for their prowess in the shortest format of international cricket, the hosts did not fare much better in the T20I leg of the bilateral. Despite having a squad packed with big hitters and T20 specialists, they looked out of sorts throughout the series, lacking discipline with the ball and consistency with the bat. Australia, on the other hand, were clinical and exploited every weakness and showed far more intent and composure. The final T20I in St Kitts saw yet another dominating display from Australia, ending the tour on a high.
West Indies captain Shai Hope admitted that the team didn’t perform well with the bat, which essentially led to their downfall in all 5 games.
"Don't think we put up a good batting display. We came up against a quality opposition in Australia, but as a batting group, we didn't give ourselves the best chance. We were always one step behind the eight ball, but t have to commend the bowling effort. Just didn't happen for us today. In the Caribbean, chasing is always better due to the dew and wind factor. But that's not something I can control. We have some clarity in the bowling unit; we executed better,” the Windies skipper said.
Hope also mentioned that conditions in the Caribbean usually favour chasing due to the dew and wind, but the hosts never really got the chance after losing every single toss in the series.
The crisis in West Indies cricket has seen emergency meetings being held by the management. The cricket body of the group of nations has sought the help of former cricketers to revive the standards set by the older generations. Legendary cricketer Clive Lloyd has already put his hand up and said that he is ready to provide every help possible to rescue the dwindling form of the cricketing team.
"We have to examine all aspects of West Indies cricket from grassroots to the international level; everything must be looked at closely and carefully. West Indies cricket is an institution. It has given so much to the people of this region, and we must do all we can to revive it. I'm always available to help in any way. How can we marry the ideas we have with what is necessary and have a healthy discussion on the way we move forward? That's what I'm thinking. It has been nearly 100 years since we have been playing top-class [Test] cricket, and we have to get it right," Lloyd said in a statement to ESPNcricinfo.
