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Where Do the West Indies Go from Early T20 World Cup Exit?

After their early exit from the T20 World Cup 2022, the West Indies cricket board will have to take some tough decisions for their future.

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Staff Reporter
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The 2022 ICC T20 World Cup has been a tournament of upsets so far, but arguably one of the biggest has been the West Indies failing to reach the Super 12s, as they were eliminated in the qualifying round.

In a group that also involved, Ireland, Scotland, and Zimbabwe, the West Indies were expected to finish in the top two, which would have ensured they joined the leading nations at the tournament.

After a far-from-ideal preparation for the ICC tournament, with a player missing a flight for the trip, West Indies began their campaign against Scotland in Hobart. They won the toss and put their opponents in to bat. Scotland made 160/5 from their 20 overs, which proved too much for the Windies as they were bowled all out for just 118.

Their performance was much better in their second game against Zimbabwe, which meant they prevailed by 31 runs, as reported by the BBC. It kept their hopes of qualification alive going into the final round matches in their group.

In what proved to be another huge upset, West Indies went down to Ireland in the group decider. They made 146/5 in the opening innings, largely thanks to Brandon King's 62 not out from 48 balls. Ireland made easy work for that target, reaching 150 for the loss of only one wicket. Paul Stirling was their hero with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 66.

Those two defeats left the Windies bottom of group B at the end of the qualification campaign. Zimbabwe and Ireland advanced, with Scotland also being eliminated at the opening stage. The CWI announced after the tournament that head coach Phil Simmons will be stepping down from his role.

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What Next for the West Indies?

The disappointment of missing out on the Super 12s is going to take some time to get over for the West Indies players. They now must watch all the other leading nations compete without them. As of the 28th of October, India are now the 21/10 favourites with Betway to win the trophy for a second time and match the West Indies for the most wins in the tournament.

The West Indies now have to wait until 2024 for their next shot at winning the ICC T20 World Cup. They are set to host that tournament along with the United States. It will be the first tournament held in the West Indies since the 2010 T20 World Cup.

As the co-hosts, the West Indies will receive automatic qualification into the group stage at the 2024 tournament, so they will not have to worry about qualifying. Eight other teams will join them at that stage.

Some of the players who were involved in the T20 World Cup in Australia will return to the country later this month for a two-match Test series. They face Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth (First Test) and then they travel to Adelaide to play them in the Second Test in what will be a tough challenge for the West Indies Test team.

West Indies go into the series against Australia in eighth place in the ICC Test rankings. They are taking on the leaders in those standings. The matches are part of the 2021-2023 World Test Championship where West Indies are seventh after winning four of their nine matches so far.

In early 2023, West Indies will then travel to take on South Africa as announced by CSA (Cricket South Africa). The tour will include three T20Is and two ODIs.

Players Who Give Hope for Future

Although the West Indies team no longer has some of the biggest names in world cricket as they did in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, they do have some players in all three formats of the game that have a bright future.

Kyle Mayers and Jason Holder are both inside the top 10 of the ICC Test all-rounder rankings. Holder is in fifth place on that list, and he showed earlier this year in a home series against England what he was capable of with the ball and the bat, as documented by the Mirror.

At the T20 World Cup, King was one of the few bright sparks for Men in Maroon. He has now scored 682 runs in T20 internationals for the West Indies. The Guyana Amazon Warriors player has done his reputation no harm with his recent performances at the crease.

Bowler Alzarri Joseph made his T20I debut earlier this year against India. The right-arm seamer has experience in several franchise leagues around the world, including the IPL where he has featured for the Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans. The 25-year-old is likely to continue to be a key part of the West Indies bowling attack in white and red ball cricket.

If the West Indies can learn from the errors they made at the T20 World Cup in Australia, they could be better for the experience heading into 2023.

West Indies Cricket T20 World Cup 2022