| Cricket in West Indies | |
|---|---|
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| Country | West Indies |
| Governing body | Cricket West Indies |
| National teams | West Indies Men West Indies Women West Indies U-19 Men West Indies U-19 Women West Indies A Men |
| Clubs | 6 (CPL) 3 (WCPL) |
| National competitions | |
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| Club competitions | |
| International competitions | |
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In the sport ofcricket, theWest Indies is a sporting confederation of fifteen mainly English-speakingCaribbean countries and territories, many of which historically formed theBritish West Indies. It consists ofAnguilla,Antigua and Barbuda,Barbados, theBritish Virgin Islands,Dominica,Grenada,Guyana,Jamaica,Montserrat,St. Kitts and Nevis,St. Lucia,St. Maarten,St. Vincent & the Grenadines,Trinidad and Tobago and theUnited States Virgin Islands. The governing body for the confederation isCricket West Indies (CWI), which is a full member of theInternational Cricket Council (ICC); beneath the CWI are six territorial governing bodies covering different nations and regions of the confederation. The CWI organises theWest Indies cricket team, which represents the confederation in international cricket, as well as administering domestic cricket competitions across the West Indies.
TheWest Indies cricket team, nicknamed "The Windies", are one of the twelveTest cricket teams, having gained Test status in 1928. They were considered amongst the strongest Test teams from the 1960s, ushering a golden age in which they were undisputed champions for the latter part of the 1970s to the mid 1990s. InOne Day International cricket, they have won theWorld Cup twice and theICC Trophy once. They have also won theWorld Twenty20 twice.
Domestic competitions organised across the whole of the West Indies include theRegional Four Day Competition (First-class), theRegional Super50 (List A) and theCaribbean Premier League (Twenty20).
Cricket is also played in other Caribbean nations and territories such as theCayman Islands, theBahamas, theTurks and Caicos Islands,Belize,Suriname, andCuba who are associate members of the ICC. As such, these teams do not form part of the West Indies for cricketing purposes, and field their own separate national teams.
Originally introduced to the West Indies by British soldiers, cricket's popularity spread to the black population and it is traditionally considered one of the most popular team sport in the West Indies and a major part ofWest Indian culture, although others sports such asassociation football andbasketball have challenged its popularity since the 1990s. Major international cricket competitions hosted by the West Indies include the2007 World Cup, the2010 World Twenty20, and the2024 T20 World Cup.
Cricket originally spread to the West Indies via theBritish military. Military officials established cricket clubs, including the St. Annes Garrison Club, and integrated cricket pitches intogarrisons in the Caribbean. The first known reference to cricket in the West Indies is believed to be from June 1806, in theBarbados Mercury and Bridgetown Gazette.[1] Two years later, a cricket match was held between the officers of the Royal West Indies Rangers and the officers of the ThirdWest India Regiment. It is believed that the military was a major influencing force behind the drive to begin playing cricket porting this, there were known to be cricket pitches located in many garrisons all around the Caribbean.[2]
During the period of colonial rule, cricket began to be played by the black population of theBritish West Indies. This adoption was a consequence of constant positive reinforcement from their masters for participating in activities that were familiar such as cricket, and abstaining from those that were perceived as taboo. Eventually, slaves were granted permission to play with military officers (who at one point only played cricket amongst themselves) in restricted roles. Foremost, they were allowed to prepare the wicket before matches, although some were permitted tobowl or retrieve batted balls.[3]
As official cricket clubs began to form, some black players were given the opportunity to play for white-majority clubs. However, many cricket clubs remained exclusively white, which led black players to establish their own clubs that would only allow other blacks to join. Clubs such as the Barbados Cricket Committee (BCC), which was established in the late nineteenth century, adhered to the policy of an all-white team, while Jamaica'sMelbourne Cricket Club was composed of only professional black cricketeers.[2] The first inter-island competition took place in 1865 betweenDemerara andBarbados, at theGarrison Savannah.[4] However, these matches were at first "organized and played almost exclusively by whites."[2] Over time, integrated matches became increasingly more common, as integrated cricket teams competed at first in an attempt to prove their dominance over the other teams of other colonies. Somesegregation still existed, for instance the fact that black players were often excluded "from clubhouse refreshment breaks during and after the game".[2] Gradually, blacks began to be employed on professional teams, marking the start of fullracial integration in the sport.[2]
The English were eager to promote cricket throughout the British Empire, and on 31 May 1926 the West Indian Cricket Board, along with theirNew Zealand andIndian counterparts, was elected to the Imperial Cricket Conference (ICC), which previously consisted of the English and representatives ofAustralia andSouth Africa.[18] Election to full membership of the ICC meant the West Indies could play officialTest matches,[19] which is the designation given to the most important international games, and the Windies became the fourth team actually to play a recognised Test match on 23 June 1928 when they took on England atLord's in London.[2]
Cricket has traditionally been the most popular sport in the West Indies, both before and after independence.[1] The inclusion of black players into West Indian cricket teams marked a moment of racial integration in West Indian society. Talented black players helped to overturn existing attitudes ofwhite superiority.[5] Cricket helped to serve a dual purpose for the West Indies- before slavery wasabolished in 1833, cricket was considered as a constructive pastime for blacks. In that same time period, it was also considered a way for thewhites to exhibit their loyalty tothe Crown.[6]
Two noteworthy West Indian cricketers areGeorge Headley, who captained the West Indies in the first test against the touring MCC team in1947-48, and BarbadianSir Frank Worrell, who was captain of the West Indies teamagainstAustralia in 1960-61. In 2009, Both Headley and Worrell were inducted into theICC Cricket Hall of Fame.[7] The early 1970s to mid-1990s showed a major increase in the dominance of the West Indian cricket team. The general historical consensus is that this is due to an increase in fast bowling, backed up by some of the bestbatsmen in the world. In 1976, fast bowlerMichael Holding took 14/149 in The Oval Test against England, setting a record which still stands for best bowling figures in a Test by a West Indies bowler.[8][9][5]
TheCricket West Indies (CWI) is the governing body for professional and amateurcricket in the West Indies. It was originally formed in the early 1920s as theWest Indies Cricket Board of Control (and is still sometimes referred by that name), but changed its name in 1996. The Board has its headquarters inSt. John's, Antigua and Barbuda.
The CWI has been a full member of theInternational Cricket Council (ICC) since 1926 and is also a member ofAmericas Cricket Association. It operates theWest Indies cricket team andWest Indies A cricket team, organising Test tours and one-day internationals with other teams.
| National teams of India | |||
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| West Indies (Men's) | West Indies (Women's) | ||
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| West Indies U-19 (Men's) | West Indies U-19 (Women's) | ||
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| West Indies A Men | |||
TheWest Indies cricket team is governed by theCricket West Indies (CWI). Since 1926, the CWI has been affiliated withICC, the international governing body for world cricket.
The following list includes the performance of all of West Indies's national teams at major competitions.
The West Indies senior national team had several successes and is considered No. 1 team in Americas and was one of the best team in the world cricket. The national team's highest achievement is winningCricket World Cups.
| Tournament | Appearance in finals | Last appearance | Best performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICC Men's Cricket World Cup | 3 out of 13 | 2023 | Champions (1975,1979) |
| ICC Men's T20 World Cup | 2 out of 9 | 2024 | Champions (2012,2016) |
| ICC Champions Trophy | 3 out of 8 | 2017 | Champions (2004) |
| ICC World Test Championship | 0 out of 3 | 2023–25 | 8th (2019-2021,2021-2023) |
| Tournament | Appearance in finals | Last appearance | Best performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICC Women's Cricket World Cup | 1 out of 12 | 2022 | Runners-up (2013) |
| ICC Women's T20 World Cup | 1 out of 9 | 2024 | Champions (2016) |
| Tournament | Appearance in finals | Last appearance | Best performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup | 2 out of 15 | 2024 | Champions (2016) |
| Tournament | Appearance in finals | Last appearance | Best performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup | 0 out of 1 | 2023 | Super 6 (2023) |
Cricket in West Indies is managed by theCricket West Indies (CWI)
TheWest Indies Cricket Team representsWest Indies in international cricket matches.
West Indies have been participating in international cricket since 1926 and competed in international tournament since the first ever the1975 Cricket World Cup. The West Indies cricket team has also provided some of the greatest players to the world, the biggest example of which is Viv Richards. West Indies cricket has a rich history. The West Indies men's team is currently ranked No. 8 in Tests, No. 10 in ODIs and at 3rd position in T20Is. India won two World Championship cups in 1975 and 1979 consequently under the captaincy of SirClive Lloyd.
TheWest Indies women's cricket team representsWest Indies in international women'scricket matches.
West Indies have been participating in international cricket since 1976 and competed in international tournament since the fifth1993 Women's Cricket World Cup. They are the most successful women's cricket team inAmericas. The West Indies Women's team is also currently ranked No. 6 in ODIs and at 6th position in T20Is.
| Name | City | Country (constituent island) | Capacity | First used | Tests | ODIs | T20Is | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kensington Oval | Bridgetown |  Barbados | 28,000 | 1930 | 53 | 35 | 17 | [10] |
| Queen's Park Oval | Port of Spain |  Trinidad and Tobago | 20,000 | 1930 | 61 | 68 | 6 | [11] |
| Bourda | Georgetown |  Guyana | 25,000 | 1930 | 30 | 11 | 0 | [12] |
| Sabina Park | Kingston |  Jamaica | 15,600 | 1930 | 50 | 37 | 3 | [13] |
| Antigua Recreation Ground | St. John's |  Antigua and Barbuda | 12,000 | 1981 | 22 | 11 | 0 | [14] |
| Arnos Vale Stadium | Kingstown |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 18,000 | 1997 | 3 | 23 | 2 | [15] |
| National Cricket Stadium | St. George's |  Grenada | 20,000 | 2002 | 3 | 21 | 0 | [16] |
| Daren Sammy Cricket Ground | Gros Islet |  Saint Lucia | 15,000 | 2003 | 6 | 29 | 12 | [17] |
| Warner Park | Basseterre |  Saint Kitts and Nevis | 8,000 | 2006 | 3 | 17 | 5 | [18] |
| Providence Stadium | Providence | Guyana | 15,000 | 2008 | 2 | 19 | 6 | [19] |
| Sir Vivian Richards Stadium | North Sound | Antigua and Barbuda | 10,000 | 2009 | 6 | 17 | 4 | [20] |
| Windsor Park | Roseau |  Dominica | 12,000 | 2011 | 6 | 4 | 2 | [21] |
| Competition | Edition | Winner | Final | Runners-up | West Indies's position | Venues | Final venue | Stadium | |
| Men's senior competitions | |||||||||
| ICC Men's Cricket World Cup | 2007 Cricket World Cup |  Australia | 281/4 (38 overs) – 215/8 (36 overs) |  Sri Lanka | Super 8 | 8 (in 8 countries) | Kensington Oval |  | |
| ICC Men's T20 World Cup | 2010 World Twenty20 |  England | 147/6 (20 overs) – 148/3 (17 overs) | Australia | Super 8 | 3 ( in 3 countries) | Kensington Oval | | |
| ICC Men's T20 World Cup | 2024 Men's T20 World Cup |  India | 176/7 (20 overs) – 169/8 (20 overs) |  South Africa | Super 8 | 9 (in 7 countries) | Kensington Oval | | |
| Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup | 2022 Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup | India | 189 (44.5 overs) – 195/6 (47.4 overs) | England | First round | 8 (in 5 countries) | Sir Vivian Richards Stadium |  | |
| Women's senior competitions | |||||||||
| Women's T20 World Cup | 2010 Women's World Twenty20 | Australia | 106/8 (20 overs) – 103/6 (20 overs) |  New Zealand | Semi-final | 3 (in 3 countries) | Kensington Oval | | |
A red box around the year indicates tournaments played withinWest Indies
| Champions | |
| Runners-up | |
| Semi-finals |
| ICC World Test Championship record | ||||||||||||||||||
| Year | League stage | Final Host | Final | Final Position | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Matches | Ded | PC | Pts | PCT | |||||||||||||
| P | W | L | D | T | ||||||||||||||
| 2019–21[22] | 8/9 | 13 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 720 | 194 | 26.9 | Rose Bowl, England | DNQ | 8th | |||||
| 2021–23[23] | 8/9 | 13 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 156 | 54 | 34.1 | The Oval, England | DNQ | 8th | |||||
| 2023–25[24] | 9 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 108 | 20 | 18.52 | Lord's, England | ||||||||
| World Cup record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hosts, Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | T | NR | ||
| 1975 | Champions | 1/8 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1979 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||
 1983 | Runners-up | 2/8 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
 1987 | Round 1 | 5/8 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1992 | 6/9 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 1996 | Semi-finals | 4/12 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
   1999 | Round 1 | 7/12 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
  2003 | 7/14 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | |||
 2007 | Super 8 | 6/16 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | ||
 2011 | Quarter-finals | 8/14 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2015 | 8/14 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2019 | Group stage | 9/10 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 2023 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
| Total | 12/13 | 2 Titles | 80 | 43 | 35 | 0 | 2 | ||
| T20 World Cup record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hosts, Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | T | NR |
| 2007 | Group stage | 11/12 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | Semi-finals | 4/12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | Super 8 | 6/12 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | Champions | 1/12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2014 | Semi-finals | 3/16 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | Champions | 1/16 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
  2021 | Super 12 | 9/16 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Group Stage | 15/16 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
 2024 | Super 8 | 5/20 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 9/9 | 2 titles | 46 | 24 | 20 | 1 | 1 |
| Champions Trophy record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hosts, Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | T | NR | |
| 1998 | Runners-up | 2/9 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2000 | Round 1 | 11/11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 7/12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2004 | Champions | 1/12 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2006 | Runners-up | 2/10 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2009 | Round 1 | 8/8 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 6/8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| 2025 | ||||||||
| Total | 7/9 | 1 title | 24 | 13 | 10 | 1 | 0 | |
| World Cup Qualifier record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | T | AB | |
| England2018 | Runners-up | 2/10 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Zimbabwe2023 | Super 6 | 5/10 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | - | 0 title | 19 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 0 | |
| World Cup record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Played | Won | Lost | Tie | NR |
| 1973 | Did not participate | ||||||
| 1978 | |||||||
| 1982 | |||||||
| 1988 | |||||||
| 1993 | Group Stage | 6/8 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | Group Stage | 10/11 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 2000 | Did not participate | ||||||
| 2005 | Group Stage | 5/8 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| 2009 | Super 6s | 6/8 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | Runners-up | 2/8 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | Group Stage | 6/8 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Semi-final | 4/8 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 2025 | |||||||
| Total | 0 Title | - | 50 | 15 | 31 | 0 | 4 |
| T20 World Cup record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Played | Won | Lost | Tie | NR |
| 2009 | Group Stage | 5/8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | Semi-final | 4/8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | Semi-final[25] | 3/8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | Semi-final | 4/10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | Champions | 1/10 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | Semi-final | 3/10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | Group Stage | 6/10 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2023 | Group Stage | 6/10 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Semi-final | 4/10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2026 | |||||||
| Total | 1 Title | - | 40 | 24 | 15 | 0 | 1 |
| West Indies U19 World Cup record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Pos | № | Pld | W | L | T | NR |
| 1988 | Semi-finals | 3rd | 8 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | First round | 10th | 16 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | Second round | 5th | 16 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | Semi-finals | 4th | 16 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | Runner-up | 2nd | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | Second round | 8th | 16 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
 2008 | First round | 9th | 16 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | Semi-finals | 3rd | 16 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 16 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 16 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | Champion | 1st | 16 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | First round | 10th | 16 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 16 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 | First round | 11th | 16 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Second round | 5th | 16 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 82 | 55 | 27 | 0 | 2 | |||
| West Indies's U19 Twenty20 World Cup Record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Pos | № | Pld | W | L | T | NR |
| 2023 | Super 6 | – | 16 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
 2025 | To be determined | |||||||
 2027 | ||||||||
| Total | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||
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