The West Indies brand of cricket has always been the most pleasing to the eyes of both the connoisseur and the viewing public. The Caribbeans are known for their passion, enthusiasm, raw talent and above all their freedom of expression on the cricket field.. This has been illustrated right from the times of the 3 Ws down through the careers of Sir Garry Sobers,Sir Viv Richards, Brian Lara and today's Dwayne Bravo..



The Caribbean atmosphere during a cricket match in their stadiums is amazing. The spectators just have a whale of a time belting out their Calypso music coupled with the never ending banging of drums and blowing of trumpets,pipes... It is just a 'no holds barred' scenario there particularly if the Caribbean team is doing well.. Pitch invasions even during occasions of a player reaching a 50 are very very common sights..



This was more so during the glory days of Clive Lloyd and his dominating force during the 1970s and 1980s. The team then was packed with entertaining, aggressive cricketers who made the days of numerous spectators unforgettable. The likes of Vivian Richards, Garry Sobers, Clive Lloyd, the awesome pace pack were loved by the spectators as well as the critics for their approach to the game, their success on the field and their dignity off the field. Their team was an exception to the current rule that champions can't be popular. They dominated on the field and were much liked off it too..



All this just was too good to last.. While the Windies still continued to dazzle at home due to the individual brilliance of Brian Lara, Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose, their performances away from home plummeted. The team was trenched in despair after the retirement of the great fast bowling duo.



In spite of all this the Caribbean public still loved their team. They continued to flock stadiums to watch their countrymen play. The fans the world over just longed for the Windies to return to their domineering ways. Their legacy was too great to just vanish without a trace. Internal politics, infighting between the players and the WICB, indiscipline of the new young players didnt help their comeback cause.. Brian Lara continued to produce inspiring performances but he could only do that much.. He felt captaincy as a burden in his early tenures and even toyed with the idea of retirement.. But he has taken over the captaincy and is very much involved with the Windies' cause. His performances like his 400 against England have given countless joyous moments to his followers all over



The Windies have made a semblance of a comeback thanks to the exploits of the skipper and a new band of dedicated,fresh,young players who swear by their captain. Their performance in the ODI game has been good off late



The spring is back in the steps of the Caribbean followers.. The West Indies bagging the rights to host the ongoing World Cup was a huge uplift to the game back there.. The whole public, the organisers with help from other countries have readied the stage. New stadiums have been constructed, existing ones have been upgraded and the infrastructure has
gone for a face lift. The West Indies readied themselves just at the right pace before the deadline, when the moment finally arrived..



The West Indies' performance in the current World Cup at their home will go a long way in promoting the game there. Currently the youngsters are taking up baseball and athletics.. All this will dramatically change if Lara and his men put up a convincing show. The icing on the cake will be the Windies winning the trophy in front of their adoring supporters



THE WHOLE WORLD IS WAITING FOR THAT MOMENT WITH BATED BREATH AND HOPE