Why West Indies Isn’t Playing the ICC Champions Trophy

After eight years in the wilderness, the ICC Champions Trophy has been restored, and it will be a must-watch cricket spectacle this year. This ODI tournament has been streamlined, so it will be a lot shorter than the bloated World Cup that spanned six weeks. 

Also, the ICC Champions Trophy winners will be presented with white jackets which symbolises greatness, adding extra prestige to the event. However, the West Indies’ absence will be noticeable. Champions in 2004, their fall from grace over the past couple of decades has been alarming. 

At SportsBoom, we have traced the West Indies’ decline and discussed the long road ahead to redemption.

Qualification Criteria for ICC Champions Trophy

Qualification for the ICC Champions Trophy was based on how teams performed at the World Cup. The top seven sides have already booked their spots, and they will join Pakistan in the eight-team event. 

For previous editions of the Champions Trophy, the top eight teams in the ODI rankings at a specific cut-off date qualified. 

The decision to change up the qualification system was approved at an ICC Board meeting in 2021. Arguably, the old system served to prove the importance of consistency across ODI series both home and abroad whether that be against the top or lower-ranked sides.

In failing to reach the World Cup, the West Indies along with Ireland and Zimbabwe, will be shoved to the sidelines. The ICC Champions Trophy, meanwhile, will mirror the same format as in the past with the top two from each pool advancing to the semi-finals, and the final will take place on March 9.

West Indies’ Recent ODI Performance

In the run-up to the World Cup, the West Indies’ results nosedived. For some time, they had been falling off the clip with top-of-the-order batting collapses to blame.

Among their most humiliating results included an embarrassing seven-wicket defeat against Scotland in a Super Six encounter. Scotland shone with both bat and ball, with the West Indies bundled out for just 181 in 43.5 overs, and it was the first time the Scots had beaten the West Indies in four attempts. It was also the first time in the West Indies’ history that they hadn’t reached an ODI or T20I Cricket World Cup and it represented a dark day.

To deepen their woes, the West Indies were also stunned by the Netherlands in a World Cup qualifier. The Netherlands chased down 374/9 to claim a tie before winning in a dramatic Super Over to complete a famous victory.

More recently, the West Indies have steadied the ship. A clean sweep over Bangladesh (3-0) in the ODI series before Christmas last year showed some signs of recovery. Before that, there was a 2-1 series win over England which was promising, but these performances were more about preserving national pride than proving their doubters wrong.

Challenges Faced by West Indies Cricket

West Indies’ decline isn’t something that happened overnight. It has been years in the making, and it has been caused by several issues. Financial shortcomings were exposed by the former Cricket West Indies (CWI) CEO Johnny Grave, who previously noted that the West Indies’ revenue share had fallen to 5% from 7% under the ICC revenue model.

He alleged that the cricketing community were conspiring to prevent the growth of the sport in the West Indies by not supporting them financially. He had suggested that more funds should be made available to make West Indies a strong force once again.

Apart from the hole in the cricket finances, there have been administrative issues that have hurt the West Indies. The running of the game has often been chaotic. Part of that was down to the scattered-gun approach whereby there weren’t serious programs put in place or a lack of significant investment to develop the next generation of players.

Regarding the players, there were also previously contract disputes. Former West Indies captain Darren Sammy drew attention to this before the World T20 final win in 2016 over England where players hadn’t heard from the West Indies Cricket Board (WCIB) over participation fees, and the issue also saw the West Indies pull out of other overseas tours, including the one in India in 2014.

The lack of consistency from the top performers over the years is also cited as a factor as to why they haven’t delivered with bat or ball when it mattered most. In the 1990s and 2000s, the West Indies could turn to Brian Lara, a Test cricket specialist, and T20 expert Chris Gayle to pull them out of sticky situations. However, since then, they don’t seem to have a talismanic figure or a game-changer that can be relied upon to perform in high-pressure situations.

Arguably, heads have been turned by the IPL where the promise of big money and playing in a dynamic league has meant white-ball cricket isn’t as important as it once was. Andre Russell and Sunil Narine were retained in the IPL 2024 auction and both are paid extremely well. Narine, who represents Kolkata Knight Riders, will be kept on for the 2025 edition, and it is thought he could earn INR 12 crores which is the equivalent of around $1.4 million.

Russell, meanwhile, has also previously made clear that there is a lack of interest in Test and ODI cricket for the players, with more of a focus placed on T20s. It’s not just the IPL, but other tournaments such as The Hundred that have generated more appeal.

Implications of Missing the Champions Trophy

The consequences of missing the Champions Trophy could be far-reaching for the West Indies. First and foremost, it sets the West Indies back in terms of trying to create a legacy. In the past, they were one of the most feared nations in the game, but the best teams are judged on how they perform in the biggest tournaments and ODI series throughout the year. The Champions Trophy is only getting back on its feet, but the West Indies will be disappointed they aren’t taking a seat at the top table as it can build momentum to other events.

For the upcoming talents that are hoping to burst onto the scene, it can hamper their prospects. Jewel Andrew, for example, is only 18, but he has earned widespread praise from the likes of West Indies legends such as Viv Richards and Shivnarine Chanderpaul. He has been tipped to be a future star and he is a classy batter, making his CPL debut last summer, and he has an array of shots in his locker, including the reverse sweep. Other players could go the same way as Andrew unless they are given the chance to showcase their ability in top tournaments.

Future Prospects for West Indies

While the initial outlook might seem gloomy, the West Indies have already taken some steps to get back on track. An emphatic win over Bangladesh in a recent ODI series may have been encouraging, but they need to claim some bigger scalps to improve their ranking. 

The West Indies visit England in a three-match series in May, and they will be targeting a victory here. Ultimately, the end goal is to put themselves in the frame to qualify for the ODI World Cup in 2027 and then the Champions Trophy in 2029 which will be staged in India. Consistency is ultimately key, but they will need to find more balance in the squad.

Keeping the more experienced players such as Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, and Nicholas Pooran will be key, but ushering in new talent to give the side a fresher look should be targeted. As mentioned, Andrew has the tools to be a big star, but also getting the most out of the likes of Shimron Hetmyer who has drifted in and out of the squad. Essentially, the West Indies need to build a team around a few players that can steer them over the next decade and continuity is something that cricket fans appreciate. 

More importantly, rediscovering a love for ODIs and motivating the players will get them on board for the next chapter.