IT is one of cricket’s great mysteries that the Caribbean has produced so many great players, despite its small size relative to virtually all other cricketing nations. The just concluded test series between the West Indies and Bangladesh is clear evidence of this, with the Caribbean’s mere few millions overcoming the 162 million who live in Bangladesh. That 2-0 series victory returned West Indies to a rank above Bangladesh, even if we continue to languish at the bottom end of the test rankings.

Of course, the West Indies T20 team is generally renowned the world over as the best, despite the ICC’s rankings, while our one-day and test teams have largely lagged far behind. The test team seems to be progressing slowly, to the relief of supporters, as this recent series win caps a two-year period in which the Windies have won multiple tests against higher-ranked opposition both at home and abroad, even if that has not amounted to series wins or sustained dominance.

From a Guyanese perspective, what was most encouraging was the performance of our own local players, in a team of late dominated by Barbadians. No fewer than six Barbadians featured in last week’s playing XI, and this is without team regulars like Kemar Roach. On the other hand, only two Guyanese played, but their performances were critical. Debutant Kemo Paul took critical top-order wickets, while Shimron Hetmyer was the driving force behind much of the Windies batting dominance in the decisive second test.

Absent was another Guyanese, Devendra Bishoo, but so impactful has he been on spin-friendly pitches of late that he seemed nevertheless to loom large over the second test match. In Paul, Bishoo and Hetmyer, the West Indies seems to have unearthed real talents. Hetmyer and Paul remain relatively raw, but their prospects are excellent because they display unique skills. Hetmyer is reminiscent of Sir Viv Richards in his free and confident strokeplay, while Paul’s action is very similar to that of famed New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond.

These two players have much development to undergo, but the Guyanese attitude of fastidious dedication implies that genuine talents stand a good chance of succeeding in this journey. Arguably, this has been a key reason for Guyana’s great success in the regional four-day first class competition. Often with fewer players of the very highest cricketing class, Guyana has nonetheless prevailed and we stand as current four-day champions, having won in several recent years.

A Guyanese playing cricket in this environment, both a winning one and one where players through discipline punch above their weight, is thus in a good position to succeed. Stalwarts like Leon Johnson embody this attitude with his batting consistency and young, true talents like Paul and Hetmyer are all the more exciting because they benefit from being around such a fastidious example. Even further, I would argue Devindra Bishoo’s determination to reinvent himself after being dropped soon after the bright start to his career is further evidence of an attitude we can take pride in locally. This should also encourage other potential West Indies players, of which there are certainly a few bright prospects just beginning to make a name for themselves.

Now that the tests have come to an end, the One-Day Internationals are due to begin, Guyana being a prominent host. We should, so far as we are able, certainly support our local cricketers and the team broadly in these matches. Hopefully, a successful series against Bangladesh, in the shadow of thoroughly dominating them in the test series, will put the team in a winning mindset ahead of the Cricket World Cup. While few perhaps expect the West Indies to win that particular trophy, the Caribbean’s team can hardly afford to ignore this format of the game, always instead looking to improve. To that end, we commend Paul, Bishoo and Hetmyer, looking forward to seeing them grow and continuing to make us proud.