History of the West Indies cricket team facts for kids

The West Indies cricket team is a group of players from English-speaking Caribbean countries who play cricket together. They are often called The Windies. This team is managed by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

The story of the West Indies cricket team began in the 1880s. This is when the first combined West Indian team was formed. They even toured Canada and the United States! In the 1890s, the first special teams were chosen to play against visiting English teams.

In 1926, the WICB joined the main international cricket group, the Imperial Cricket Conference. This meant they could play official international matches, called Tests. Their first Test match was in 1928.

At first, their success was not consistent, even with some great players. But by the late 1970s, the West Indies team became known as the unofficial world champions. They held this title through the 1980s! Their team from the 1970s and 1980s is considered one of the best in Test cricket history. They were famous for their four amazing fast bowlers and some of the best batsmen in the world.

In the 1980s, they set a record of 11 Test victories in a row in 1984. They also had a record of 27 Tests without losing. They even beat England 5–0 twice! However, in the 1990s and 2000s, West Indian cricket became less strong. This was partly because other sports like athletics and football became more popular.

Even so, the team has won the ICC T20 World Cup twice (in 2012 and 2016). They also won the ICC Champions Trophy once (2004) and the ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup once (2016).

The team today includes players from independent countries like Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. It also includes players from British areas like Anguilla, Montserrat, and the British Virgin Islands, plus the U.S. Virgin Islands and St. Maarten.

Early Cricket Tours

The first big international cricket games in the West Indies were between local teams and English visitors. In 1894–95, an English team led by Robert Slade Lucas toured the West Indies. Two years later, Arthur Priestley brought a team that played against a side called "All West Indies" for the first time. The West Indians won this match!

English teams continued to visit. In 1900, a West Indian team led by Aucher Warner toured England. Later, in 1901–02, another English team played three games against "West Indies" teams, with the hosts winning 2–1.

In 1906, Harold Austin led a West Indian team to England. They played against many county teams and drew a game against an "England XI." The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which organized English tours, visited the West Indies in 1910–11 and 1912–13.

In 1926, the West Indian Cricket Board, along with New Zealand and India, joined the Imperial Cricket Conference (ICC). This was a big step! It meant the West Indies could now play official Test matches. On June 23, 1928, the Windies played their first official Test match against England in London. They lost all three matches in that series.

First Test Matches (1930s and 1940s)

The West Indies team that toured Australia in 1930–31.

The West Indies played 19 Tests in the 1930s. Their first Test victory happened on February 26, 1930, against England. Star player George Headley scored many runs, and Learie Constantine took many wickets.

In 1930–31, the West Indies toured Australia. They lost the series 4–1, but won their first overseas Test match by 30 runs. The team faced some cultural differences in Australia, but they left a good impression.

In 1933, the West Indies toured England. England won the series 2–0. In one match, West Indian bowlers Manny Martindale and Learie Constantine used a fast, short-pitched bowling style called "Bodyline" against England.

Another England tour of the West Indies happened in 1934–35. The West Indies secured their first Test series victory! George Headley scored an amazing 270 not out in the final match.

The West Indies toured England again in 1939. George Headley scored hundreds in both innings of the first Test. The rest of the tour was cancelled because World War II was about to begin.

After the war, the West Indies played their first Test in 1948. They won the series against England 2–0, their first away-series victory. In 1948, they also toured India for the first time, winning that series 1–0. Everton Weekes set a record by scoring hundreds in five Test innings in a row!

Post-War Period (1950s)

In 1950, the West Indies toured England again. This series saw the rise of their great spinning bowlers, Sonny Ramadhin and Alf Valentine. England won the first Test, but Valentine and Ramadhin helped the Windies win the next three Tests, taking the series 3–1.

In 1951–52, the Windies visited Australia. They lost the series 4–1. Later, they toured New Zealand and won that series.

The Indians toured the West Indies in 1953. The Windies won the series 1–0. Frank Worrell scored 237 runs in one match. In 1953–54, an English team visited, and the series ended in a 2–2 draw. Sonny Ramadhin took many wickets, and Clyde Walcott scored many runs.

Australia visited in 1954–55 and won the series 3–0. Clyde Walcott set records by scoring five hundreds in the series. In 1956, the West Indies toured New Zealand and won the series, but New Zealand surprised them by winning their first ever Test match in the fourth game.

In 1957, the West Indies toured England and lost the series 3–0. In 1957–58, Gerry Alexander led the team to a 3–1 victory over Pakistan. In this series, Garry Sobers scored an amazing 365 not out, which was then the highest score in Test cricket history!

A Time of Change (1960s)

For a long time, only white cricketers captained the West Indies team. But in 1960, Frank Worrell was chosen to lead the team on their tour of Australia. This was a very important moment! Worrell helped turn a group of talented players into one of the best teams in the world.

In 1960–61, the West Indies played Australia in a series that is still famous today. The first Test in Brisbane ended in a tie, which is very rare in cricket! The series was very close, with Australia winning by two wickets in the final Test. The trophy for matches between these two teams was named the Frank Worrell Trophy in his honor.

The West Indies then beat India 5–0 at home. In 1963, they beat a strong English team 3–1. One match at Lord's had a thrilling finish, ending in a draw with England needing just a few runs to win.

Becoming World Champions (1970s)

The early 1970s were tough for the West Indies. They lost to India at home for the first time in 1970–71. But new players like Lawrence Rowe and fast bowler Andy Roberts started to emerge.

Under captain Clive Lloyd, the team began to get much stronger. Lloyd was a great fielder and a powerful batsman. In 1974–75, the West Indies toured India and won the series. New players Gordon Greenidge and Vivian Richards made their debuts. Richards scored 192 not out in his second Test!

Flag of the West Indies cricket team prior to 1999

The West Indies won the very first World Cup in England in 1975, beating Australia in the final! After a tough tour of Australia, more amazing fast bowlers joined the team: Michael Holding, Colin Croft, Joel Garner, and Malcolm Marshall. These players, along with batsmen like Richards, Greenidge, and Lloyd, formed the core of the team that became the world champions in Test cricket until the 1990s.

In 1976, they toured England. The English captain made a comment that motivated the West Indies team. They played with incredible speed and power, winning three Tests in a row after two draws. Richards scored an amazing 829 runs in four Tests, including scores of 232 and 291. Roberts and Holding took many wickets.

The West Indies won a home series against Pakistan in 1976–77. Later, many West Indian players signed up for a new international cricket competition called World Series Cricket (WSC). This caused some disagreements about player payments and selection. Even with these issues, the West Indies won the 1979 World Cup again!

After the WSC issues were sorted out, Clive Lloyd returned as captain. In 1979–80, the West Indies toured New Zealand. This tour had many disagreements with the umpires. Despite the controversy, the West Indies lost this series, but it would be their last Test series loss for the next 15 years!

Unstoppable Champions (1980s)

The 1980s were a golden age for West Indies cricket. They won series against England and Pakistan. In 1982–83, some West Indian players toured South Africa, which was under a system called apartheid. This caused disagreements, and the WICB banned these players (though the ban was later lifted).

Even without some of these players, the official Windies team continued to dominate. They became one of the greatest Test cricket teams ever. In 1984, they toured England and won the series 5–0! This is called a "blackwash" and was the first time a touring team had won a five-Test series 5–0. They did it again against England at home in 1985–86.

During this time, the West Indies set a record of 11 Test victories in a row. They also had an amazing record of 27 Tests without defeat! From 1980 to 1985–86, they won 10 out of 11 Test series. Their only major defeat in one-day cricket was losing to India in the final of the 1983 World Cup.

Clive Lloyd retired as captain in 1985. He had led the West Indies in 74 Test matches, winning 36 of them. Vivian Richards took over as captain and continued the team's success.

Some of the great bowlers like Joel Garner and Michael Holding retired by 1987. But new fast bowlers like Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh emerged. Ian Bishop and Patrick Patterson also joined the attack. Malcolm Marshall was still one of the best fast bowlers in the world.

By the end of the 1980s, the team was still very good, but they were starting to lose their unbeatable aura. Finding new top players was becoming a challenge.

Decline and New Success (1990s–2000s)

In the early 1990s, the West Indies team faced a big challenge as many star players like Richards, Greenidge, and Marshall retired in 1991. This left a younger team. Richie Richardson became the new captain.

New talented players like Brian Lara, Curtly Ambrose, Ian Bishop, and Carl Hooper emerged. The West Indies continued their unbeaten streak for five more years. In 1992–93, they beat Australia by just one run in a thrilling match.

However, in 1994–95, Australia finally defeated the West Indies 2–1, ending their long reign as unofficial world champions. The 1996 World Cup ended with a loss in the semi-finals, and Richie Richardson retired.

Courtney Walsh and then Brian Lara became captain. In 1998–99, the West Indies toured South Africa for the first time, but it was a very tough series, ending in a 5–0 defeat. The 1999 World Cup campaign also ended early. In 2000, England won a series against the West Indies for the first time in 31 years. The decade ended with another 5–0 defeat in Australia.

Brian Lara was the main batsman for the West Indies in the 1990s. In 1993–94, he scored 375 runs against England, breaking Sobers' world record for the highest score in Test cricket! He also scored 501 not out in a first-class match, which was another world record. The bowling attack was led by Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, who set a world record for most wickets. But after they retired by 2001, the team struggled to find new top bowlers.

The West Indies team dropped to eighth place in the world rankings. Brian Lara became captain again in 2002–03. In 2004, Lara scored 400 not out against England, becoming the only player to regain the world record for the highest individual Test score. Later that year, Lara led the West Indies to win the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy, a major one-day competition.

Player Disagreements

In 2005, there were big disagreements between the West Indian Players Association (WIPA) and the Cricket Board over contracts and pay. This led to some top players not being available for matches. Shivnarine Chanderpaul became captain. These disagreements continued for several years, sometimes leading to weaker teams being selected.

In 2014, another disagreement over payment led to the team's tour of India being cut short. By 2015, some players chose not to play Tests, and Jason Holder became captain. The team struggled, losing many matches.

Rebuilding and T20 Success (2010s)

When Twenty20 cricket became popular around 2007, the West Indies team found a new strength. They had powerful batsmen like Chris Gayle who could hit the ball very hard. Gayle hit the first T20 international century and later became the first to hit two.

At the 2012 World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, the West Indies beat Australia in the semi-finals. Then they beat the hosts, Sri Lanka, by 32 runs to win their third ICC world championship! This was their first major world title since 1979.

In the 2016 World Twenty20, they beat host India in the semi-finals. In the final, they faced England. With 19 runs needed from the last over, Carlos Brathwaite hit four sixes in a row to win the match by four wickets! This showed their strength in T20 cricket.

Tournament History

World Cup

• 1975: Won
• 1979: Won
• 1983: Runners-up
• 1987: First round
• 1992: 6th place
• 1996: Semifinals
• 1999: First round
• 2003: First round
• 2007: 6th place
• 2011: Quarterfinals
• 2015: Quarterfinals
• 2019: 9th place
• 2023: Failed to qualify

ICC Champions Trophy

• 2002: First round
• 2004: Won
• 2006: Runners-up

ICC Knockout

• 1998: Runners up
• 2000: First round

ICC World Twenty20/ICC Men's T20 World Cup

• 2007: First round
• 2009: Semifinals
• 2010: Second round
• 2012: Won
• 2014: Semifinals
• 2016: Won
• 2021: Super 12
• 2022: Group Stage

ICC World Test Championship

• 2019-21: 8th place
• 2021-23: 8th place

Bowling Attack

The West Indies team often uses many fast bowlers instead of spin bowlers. They sometimes have four fast bowlers in their team. They might also have players who can bowl spin and bat, called All-Rounders, like Gus Logie or Carl Hooper.

A famous example of their "four-pronged" (four-player) fast bowling attack was in the 1980s. This attack usually included:

• Malcolm Marshall (fast bowler)
• Andy Roberts (fast)
• Michael Holding (fast)
• Joel Garner (fast)

Other fast bowlers from that time included Patrick Patterson, Colin Croft, and Sylvester Clarke.

Their current fast bowling attack includes:

• Kemar Roach (fast)
• Ravi Rampaul (fast medium)
• Tino Best (fast)
• Sheldon Cottrell (fast medium)
• Darren Sammy (medium fast)
• Jason Holder (fast medium)
• Dwayne Bravo (fast medium)

Other fast bowlers from this time include Andre Russell, Miguel Cummins, Fidel Edwards, Krishmar Santokie, Shannon Gabriel, Lionel Baker, Jerome Taylor, and Oshane Thomas.

Images for kids

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  Learie Constantine

See also

• West Indian cricket team
• List of West Indian Test cricketers
• West Indian Test match records
• 2007 Cricket World Cup – held in the Caribbean.
• West Indian national cricket captains
• Fire in Babylon, a documentary about the West Indian cricket team during the 1970s and 1980s
• For coverage of cricket more generally, go to the Cricket portal.