Everyone loves an underdog story, where those who have been written off by all find it within themselves to rise to the ultimate challenge and claim victory. The most recent example of this perennial storyline has been the West Indies' improbable win in the World Twenty20 final.
Particularly for those who remember the glory days of West Indies cricket in the 1970s and 1980s, when players such as Viv Richards and Clive Lloyd dominated the test and one-day versions of the game, their performance in recent years has tested even the staunchest fan’s faith. Despite the record-breaking exploits of batsman Brian Lara in the 1990s, the general trajectory of West Indies cricket has been one of inexorable decline.
The nature of the West Indies’ victory in the shortest version of the game reads like an outlandish movie script, with batsman Carlos Brathwaite hitting four consecutive sixes in the final over to secure victory against England. Is this the start of a new era?
