NEW DELHI: The Caribbean woke up to a gloomy Monday morning following the West Indies' disappointing exit from the men's T20 World Cup, which they were hosting after a 14-year hiatus.
The collective aspirations of millions in the region were shattered when Marco Jansen hit a full delivery from Obed McCoy for a six down the ground, securing a tense victory for South Africa over the tournament co-hosts.
While it is challenging to rival the passionate fan following that cricket enjoys in India, the Caribbean comes close to matching the Asian nation's enthusiasm for the sport.
The excitement surrounding the tournament was evident across the six World Cup venues, but the defeat on Sunday night has left the typically cheerful fans in a state of despair.
"It is depressing but the West Indies had it coming. They were poor in all departments last night," PTI quoted Papios, a police officer who was guarding an almost empty Darren Sammy Stadium ahead of the India-Australia game.
The West Indies had the opportunity to secure an unprecedented third T20 World Cup victory. A significant aspect of the storyline revolved around Darren Sammy, a local icon who achieved fame after leading the team to two championship wins. The entire Caribbean region had pinned their hopes on Sammy to replicate his success, this time as the team's head coach.
However, after the devastating defeat in Antigua, the public's perception of him has undoubtedly shifted.
"It is time we sack him. He is not good for the team and does politics. Poor selection cost the team," said a member of the ground staff in St Lucia.
Kevin Brathwaite, an ardent supporter of the game in Barbados, shares a bleak outlook regarding the sport's prospects in the Caribbean.
"I don't support the West Indies team. I am supporting England in this tournament. There is too much regional politics in the game here. So there is no reason to support them.
"I would want to see West Indies bring back the glory days in Test cricket but with the way things are going, it is not happening in the foreseeable future. Everyone wants to play in the IPL but not Test cricket," said Brathwaite.
The result of Sunday night's match is not expected to have a significant effect on the well-being of the shortest form of the game. However, it is in the other two formats where the West Indies are struggling to keep up with their competitors.
The domestic cricket structure in the Caribbean is such that each team participates in a mere five first-class matches per season.
"Test cricket is dying and it not surprising. We have the shortest first-class season. We are way behind in ODIs too (West Indies could not qualify for ODI World Cup 2023).
"Unfortunately, the World Cup result last night won't impact the T20 format. That is where the money is.
"In this World Cup, they had issues with their batting and bowling all through and may have experimented with their selection at least against smaller teams like Uganda," said 85-year-old Saint Lucia-based commentator Joseph Perreira, who has covered seven World Cups including the first three one in 1975, 1979 and 1983.
The Caribbean celebration would have lasted for months if the West Indies had achieved ultimate victory. However, the festivities must be postponed until another opportunity arises.
