"We'll never dominate like we did": Ian Bishop's reaction after West Indies failed to qualify for WC 2023
Jul 02, 2023
Harare [Zimbabwe], July 2 : Former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop believes that the Caribbean team will never be able to dominate as the West Indies team did during the '80s.
The WI team was made up of star-studded players that went on to dominate the world of cricket throughout the '80s as well as the early '90s.
But since the end of that era, the two-time champion started to lose their prowess, their stature as a team. In the present scenario, they are chasing the shadows of the former team.
On Saturday, the West Indies team failed to qualify for the World Cup 2023 as they ended up losing to Scotland in one of the most one-sided encounters of the Cricket World Cup Qualifier.
After the defeat while speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Bishop admitted that they won't be able to dominate like they did in the past as the rest of the teams continue to grow.
"Yes. We'll never dominate like we did in the '80s and the first half of the '90s. I think other teams around the world are too good. We have serious economic challenges in the Caribbean, which the authorities around the world have to look at. But I still think when I look at, for example, where Zimbabwe were, and the troubles they have gone through, and how well they have played in this tournament, I think we have enough there to do even better next time around, if there is synergy." Bishop said.
He further went on to reveal how he felt after the latest setback that the WI team suffered. He described the result of the defeat as unimaginable.
"It is a difficult day, and difficult to sum up. To not have West Indies as part of the World Cup is, to me, unimaginable. I can echo the sentiments of many fans and West Indian supporters, of whom there are still many. Coming at the back of the 2021 T20 World Cup disappointment, and then not making it into the main round of the 2022 T20 World Cup, it is a stifling reality of where the [West Indies] cricket is at the moment," Bishop signed off.
West Indies will now face Oman on Wednesday at the Harare Sports Club.
