A Failed Institution?: Why The Caribbean Should Support West Indies Cricket

Cricket has, for nearly a century, been a uniting force in the Caribbean. Since its introduction into the region by the British colonial rulers, it has become a cultural element shared by countries throughout the region. With the formal formation of the West Indies cricket team in 1928, English-speaking Caribbean people were given a unified national identity to represent their interests on the international stage. However, following dominant spells in the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s—during which the West Indies had extended stints as the best Test team in the world and claimed two One Day International World Cup titles—the Men in Maroon have experienced mixed fortunes in the following decades.  While there have been notable achievements since, such as winning the Champions Trophy in 2004 and bagging two T20 World Cups in 2012 and 2016, the team has also endured disappointing periods. The most notable of these was their failure to qualify for the 2023 ODI World Cup, marking their first absence from the marquee tournament in its history. Additionally, on the geopolitical front, some have questioned whether a united team, financially supported by regional governments, is still valuable to the region. Some commentators see the Windies as the...