IN 1975, under the astute leadership of Clive Lloyd, West Indies won the first-ever International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup, defeating Australia. They followed this up by claiming the title four years later with victory over hosts, England.With the “Supercat” Lloyd returning for what had been his swansong, and the Caribbean team overwhelming favourites to cart off a hat-trick of triumphs, India pulled off a stunning upset, defeating West Indies by 43 runs after limiting them to a paltry 183.

Subsequently, the West Indies failed to reach the final in 10 consecutive World Cups, the last being 2015. In the interim, they were successful in the 2004 Champions Trophy, thanks to a last-gasp effort by wicket-keeper Courtney Browne and tail-ender Ian Bradshaw; and in the 2012 World T20, when they trounced Sri Lanka in that country’s own backyard by 36 runs.

While it hasn’t since been all gloom and doom for West Indies, there was little for their diehard supporters to really shout about. This, coupled with the frequent confrontations between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the players, had also done little to restore confidence in a region that had grown accustomed to winning, especially during the Clive Lloyd era.

That West Indies also failed to qualify for next year’s Champions Trophy tournament was also a bitter pill to swallow, and the blame for this continued to fly “left, right and centre.”

Meanwhile, since commencement of the Under-19 World Cup in 1988, the West Indies had only managed to reach the final in 2004, losing to Pakistan in Dhaka, Bangladesh by 25 runs.

Entering this year’s tournament as underdogs, and being thrashed by England in their opening Group game, Shimron Hetmyer and his charges shrugged off that defeat; and it was evident that they weren’t intimidated, firstly by defeating Bangladesh in front of more than ten thousand screaming home fans in their semi-final encounter, and by India’s reputation of being the only unbeaten side leading up to the final.

An ebullient and confident skipper, Hetmyer, summed up his team’s triumph succinctly, pointing out that playing Bangladesh at home, despite losing the three warm-up matches, “didn’t really make much of a difference.”

That the West Indies youths didn’t worry too much about the crowd, and concentrated strictly on the task ahead is ample testimony to the resilience and maturity of a bunch of players who were bent on bringing glory to the region — a task they achieved with much acclamation and obviously exceeded the expectations of many.

The maturity and awareness displayed were unbelievable, and should make all West Indian supporters optimistic about the future of cricket in the region. It also serves as a great shot in the arm for West Indies cricket.

The match-winning performance of the West Indies Under-19 Team has obviously shown there’s no lack of talent in the Caribbean, and these players should be carefully nurtured for the senior level. Too often this talent is left to go waste, hence the present state of the region’s cricket.

The emergence of fast bowlers Alzarri Joseph and Chemar Holder, taking their performances into consideration, should also serve as food for thought to our cricket administrators and selectors, bearing in mind that when West Indies Cricket ruled the roost for more than a decade, the famed four-pronged pace attack was partly responsible.

Seasoned and experienced commentator Tony Cozier alluded to the fact — which the Sports Desk also shares — that “the obvious questions now are whether the players can carry the benefits of such experiences forward to first-class and eventually international level, and whether their best can somehow be kept away from the financially enticing clutches of mushrooming T20 franchise tournaments.

According to Cozier, “Lack of opportunity; the slow, turning pitches in the Caribbean; and, most of all, the prolonged strained relationships between the West Indies Cricket Board and players remain hindrances.”

Time will tell whether the emphatic victory will impact the improvement of the game in the West Indies. In the meantime, Hetmyer and his team should bask in the glory after triumphing against all odds.

All hail the conquering West Indies!!!