However, it was far from that for the bowlers and although the West Indies set the hosts a modest 138 total to chase it was a magnificent spectacle and a wonderful advertisement for this type of cricket.
There was also irony for the Ireland players whose game against the West Indies was rained off earlier in the tournament when our team was denied the opportunity to decide their fate on the pitch. This was a similar situation to what happened against England at Georgetown in Guyana in 2009 and they went on to win the final in Bridgetown. Would Ireland have bowled out the West Indies in a similar fashion to Sri Lanka or is this another dream that will be stored in the fantasy closet of ‘what might have been?’
The final will be best remembered for Marlon Samuels’s magnificent batting, some exceptional bowling by Ajantha Mendis and Sunil Narine, and the captaincy and modesty of the often-maligned Darren Sammy. If ever a captain deserved success then it is Sammy, who has continually answered his critics where it matters most…on the pitch. And the way the West Indies defended their modest score shows that no cause is ever lost in Twenty20 cricket. Hopefully the win will be the platform for greater things to come and Caribbean cricket sets aside a decade of lethargy, squabbles and self-destruction and goes forward with fresh optimism and vision. World cricket certainly needs a strong West Indies team to brighten the international stage.
The final was not without its drama and several poor umpiring decisions. At least two key LBW decisions were proved wrong by ‘Hawkeye” and we have now reached the stage where even the two best umpires in the world seem incapable or unwilling to make the most obvious run-out decisions for fear of trial by television. Or have we become the experts sitting in front of television sets with all the technology, replays and know-all commentators at our disposal?
The tournament was a huge success for the hosts and was well supported by the Sri Lankan cricket enthusiasts. It was also a great opportunity for the Ireland players to compete at this level and while they did not punch their weight, it has to be recognized that it would have been a major shock if they had pulled off a victory over either Australia or West Indies, two of the strongest teams in the competition. We have neither the batting nor the bowling strength to match the top teams, but we fielded as good as anyone in Sri Lanka. Our progress is part of a learning curve and we have to keep working towards realistic goals and objectives.
It would be nice to have the luxury of playing specialist Twenty20 players as one journalist has suggested, but one wonders where these specialists are? Certainly not in Irish cricket. Virtually all the top cricket nations play the same players and let them adapt to the different disciplines. There may be a few exceptions with some specialist players, but this Ireland squad continues to compete and build the respect of our peers and that is major progress at the highest level
Clarence Hiles
Editor
