Yeh khabar dil ko chhoo gayi, kyunki Pooran jaise khiladi har team ka sapna hote hain. Unke jaane se West Indies team mein ek khali jagah toh banta hi hai, aur coach Daren Sammy ke shabdon mein, yeh ek bada challenge hai ki kaise apne khiladiyon ko “crest ke liye khelne ki motivation” banaye rakhein. Sammy ne yeh bhi kaha ki Pooran ke is faisle ke baad aur bhi khiladi aisa hi kadam utha sakte hain. Yeh soch dil ko thodi si chubhan deti hai, kyunki West Indies cricket, jo kabhi duniya par raj karta tha, aaj apne khiladiyon ko khone ke dar se joojh raha hai.
Pooran ka retirement T20 cricket ke badalte roop ko dikhata hai. Aaj kal khiladi apne career ke shuruati dino mein hi international cricket chhod rahe hain, jaise ki South Africa ke do khiladiyon ne apne 30s ke shuru mein kiya. Sammy ne kaha, “Main sure hoon ki aur log bhi is raaste par chalenge.” Yeh T20 leagues ka asar hai, jahan paisa, fame, aur flexibility khiladiyon ko apni taraf kheech rahi hai. West Indies ke liye yeh aur bhi mushkil hai, kyunki unke paas resources aur infrastructure utna mazboot nahi hai jitna badi teams jaise India ya Australia ke paas hai. England ke khilaf recently hui series mein West Indies ko 3-0 se ODI aur T20 dono mein haar ka samna karna pada, aur Pooran ke na hone se team ka bowling attack bilkul kamzor pad gaya. T20 series mein unhone 58.3 overs mein 628 runs diye, jisme Southampton mein ek match mein 248 runs ka total tha. Yeh aankde West Indies ke liye ek warning hai.
Lekin West Indies cricket ka itihas bhi toh dekhein. Yeh wahi team hai jisne 1970s aur 1980s mein duniya ko apne gendbazi aur batting se dara diya tha. Viv Richards, Malcolm Marshall, aur Clive Lloyd jaise khiladiyon ne cricket ke maidaan ko apna ghar banaya tha. Aur Daren Sammy khud ek aisa naam hai jinhone 2012 aur 2016 mein West Indies ko T20 World Cup jeetaya. Sammy ka yeh kehna ki unhone Pooran ke retirement se pehle hi planning shuru kar di thi, ek ummeed jagata hai. Sammy jaise leader ke paas woh tajurba hai jo team ko naya rasta dikha sakta hai. West Indies ke paas ab bhi Andre Russell, Jason Holder, aur Rovman Powell jaise khiladi hain jo team ko aage le ja sakte hain. Yeh khiladi bade teams ke khilaf bhi ladne ka dum rakhte hain, jaise 2016 T20 World Cup ke final mein England ke khilaf Carlos Brathwaite ke chaar chhakke yaad hain na? Woh pal West Indies cricket ka jadoo tha.
Naye khiladiyon ko mauka dena aur unhe motivate karna ab West Indies ke liye sabse bada kaam hai. T20 leagues ke bawajood, agar team ek aisa culture banaye jahan khiladi apne desh ke liye dil se khelna chahein, toh West Indies phir se uth sakta hai. Sammy ka focus bowling skills ko behtar karne par hai, kyunki yeh unka sabse kamzor hissa raha hai recently. Ireland ke khilaf aane wali T20 series ek mauka hai naye khiladiyon ko apne aap ko prove karne ka. Agar West Indies apne chhote-chhote resources ke saath bhi apne khiladiyon ka passion jagaye rakhta hai, toh yeh badi teams ke liye ek jawab hoga. Yeh ek chhoti si team ka bada sapna hai, jo apne purane din yaad dilata hai jab Caribbean ke maidaano se cricket ke naye tare nikla karte the.
Lekin sach toh yeh hai ki yeh safar asaan nahi hoga. Pooran jaise khiladi ka jana ek bada jhatka hai, aur agar Sammy ke shabd sach hote hain toh aur bhi khiladi shayad international cricket chhod sakte hain. T20 leagues ka dabav aur bade teams ka infrastructure West Indies jaise team ke liye ek challenge hai jo shayad aur bhi bada hota jayega. West Indies cricket ka future abhi bhi ek sawaal hai, aur jawab sirf waqt hi dega.
