As galling as it may be, it is impossible to quibble with the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) positioning of the West Indies as ninth among the 14 contestants in the 10th World Cup that began yesterday with India confirming their rank as favourites with their comfortable, high-scoring, away victory over co-host Bangladesh.
Once the mightiest, most feared team in the game, the unbeaten champions in the first two tournaments have sunk below even the hapless Bangladeshis who only rose from their accustomed position at the bottom of pack a fortnight ago, at their expense.
So, for the game’s most prestigious event, the West Indies now find themselves in the company of Canada, Kenya, Ireland, the Netherlands and Zimbabwe,
