Windies in red, thanks to white ball

In a different era the cricketing world viewed an Australia v West Indies Test series Down Under as the world championship of cricket Yes even the 197576 one was called that before Clive Lloydrsquos suffered a 15 shellacking at the hands of Greg Chappellrsquos Australians less than a year after Lloyd lifted the inaugural World Cup Just like some from that Australian team who endured a 04 thrashing in South Africa six seasons prior to that summer the West Indies team at the receiving end in 197576 werenrsquot so bad as the scoreline suggestedIt probably wonrsquot be quite the same at the twomatch Australia v West Indies Test series which began in Adelaide on Wednesday For skipper Kraigg Brathwaite has travelled to Australia with seven uncapped playersFormer captain Jason Holder and middleorder batsman Kyle Mayers are not on the tour after spurning central contracts to play whiteball cricket There is no Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran as well Thus to say that the West Indies are understrength Down Under would be an understatementThe West Indiesrsquos former player Jeff Dujon who did duty behind the stumps in five Test series against Australia from 198182 to 199091 pulled no punches the other day ldquoItrsquos a bit of an embarrassment because Australia doesnrsquot suffer from the same situation like us Maybe their players are more patriotic but this is like sending lambs to the slaughter It would have been better if we had sent a young team like this to play a weaker nation but I donrsquot think therersquos a whole lot to be gained sending a team with seven debutants against a team so experienced established and powerfulrdquo Dujon was quoted as saying in the Jamaica GleanerJoseph lsquoRedsrsquo Perreira the veteran broadcaster told me on Monday that as much as he respects Dujon as a person commentator and his cricketing deeds Dujon did not know what it was to lose a Test series in a maroon cap he wonders what the former stumper would have done had he been a selector ldquoI think it Dujonrsquos view was not said taking the situation facing selectors Desmond Haynes and Roland Butcher They were hamstrung Holder turned down a contract Hope refused to tour and Brandon King a tremendously gifted player turned down the opportunity Had West Indies had all these players it would have been a different story in Australiardquo said RedsYou donrsquot need a genius to tell you that franchise cricket is killing Test cricket But one geniusmdashBrian Laramdashsaid the other day ldquoI mean wersquove got to face the facts The franchise cricket that is being played around the world it is very difficult for the West Indies Cricket Board to compete with such lucrative opportunities that our cricketers haverdquo Lara told SEN SportsdayNot being a rich board is a mighty problem for the West Indies Reds says they must get a good ldquoshare of the ICC cakerdquo so that players can be better paid He clearly sees the writing on the wall if Caribbean coffers donrsquot swellMeanwhile cricket enthusiasts who adored the West Indies of past eras canrsquot help turning back the clock to in a way appease their heavy cricketloving hearts I was old enough to closely follow the West Indies in Australia Test series in 198485 Australiarsquos first home season without the retired Greg Chappell Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh The West Indies were at their rampaging best Australian cricket was in doldrums and Allan Border hadnrsquot really settled into the captaincy taking over midseries from Kim HughesEveryone expected Australia to lose the series and they did The West Indies were too formidable for an air of optimism to be produced for the hosts But Border writing a preseries piece for the Australian Cricket magazine before he became captain provided a glimpse of the teamrsquos attitude facing up to CliveLloydrsquos champion outfit He wrote ldquoKim Hughes captain manager Bob Merriman and I talked to every player individually about whatrsquos wrong with Australian cricket and what role each player thought he had to play From every player came the same response lsquoLetrsquos get together put our heads down and beatthese West Indiansrsquo rdquoWhen Lillee was asked what he felt after the West Indies annihilated Australia in the opening Test at Perth he said ldquoI saw a great side beating a team which had lost three very experienced players and only time and experience will rectify thatrdquoLloydrsquos side had already sealed the series before the final Test at Sydney where Borderrsquos team scored a massive victory through spinners Bob Holland and Murray Bennett and not to forget Kepler Wesselsrsquos 173Border as journalist Mike Coward once said gave Australian cricket the kiss of life That Border didnrsquot have the pleasure of beating the West Indies in a Test series shouldnrsquot chip away at his greatness as a player and captain Only yesterday Lara mentioned on air that Border was his hero He pointed to his fellow southpawrsquos unbeaten knocks of 98 and 100 in the Trinidad Test of 198384Borderrsquos successor Mark Taylor managed to beat the West Indies in 199495 and the Australians have been unbeaten since If anything it drives home a truth times change no domination is permanent The question is are the young West Indians going to believe that and treat this Australia tour and the encouraging Day One performance at Adelaide as a starting pointmiddayrsquos group sports editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance He tweets ClaytonMurzelloSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individualrsquos and donrsquot represent those of the paper