Why Nicholas Pooran Must Make A Comeback To West Indies National Team?

As far as one can remember, 2023 was yet again, that year where cricket largely belonged to the prowess of the Australian cricket team and the brilliant exploits of their closest rivals: India. It was the year where, as one found out, India lost the finals of the One day World Cup to the intrepid, die-hard performers at the highest possible level: the Aussies. Those who were talked about in rich praise, albeit not the lion-sized platter of regard were the semi-finalists- New Zealand and the Proteas.

We saw Glenn Maxwell playing an absolute blinder, a devastating knock of the highest pedigree and importantly, in Cricket’s greatest carnival with his team’s backs to the wall.

We saw Virat Kohli being the run machine that he is true to his lofty standards. Centuries and Kohli under pressure is still a better romantic saga than the old flicks that are no longer enthralling whether on the hand held device or the big screen.

We also saw the likes of Ibrahim Zadran and Bas de Leede making an impact at the world level. Forget not that we were regaled by the rise of Shubman Gill and his good friend Ishan Kishan, both of whom carved double hundreds in the limited overs format.

Then, there was the IPL and Dhoni’s magic touch was for all to see; Jadeja hit the winning runs in a rain-affected and pulsating final contest but that wasn’t before the rise of Rinku Singh and other blazing batters like Ruturaj Gaikwad. Faf du Plessis continued his fine touch for the RCB even as his team faltered.

Shami ensured that the white ball out tricked the best in the business who wielded the bat to challenge India’s authority. He was a one of a kind performer this year. His teammate, Shreyas Iyer batted with pomp and fearlessness making runs for fun under pressure in the one day World Cup.

Moreover, the world was yet again reminded of the peril dangers of taking a certain Heinrich Klaasen lightly. We also saw Marco Jansen emerging to be his best and then there was the rise of Gerald Coetzee.

Against this narrative, little was, as one understands, reserved to appreciate the struggles of a Zimbabwe who failed to make it to the elite men’s contest or that of Scotland and Ireland, two of the vastly improved Associate nations. There was even lesser talk of a certain Saber Zakhil, a batsman of courage and potential from Belgium, but one whose batting has reverberated around the world.

But is that all?

There was a certain two time World Cup winning team that failed, for the first time ever, to reach the very stage it once dominated with rich aplomb: the West Indies. And to make matters worse, in the more recent times, news that their former captain Nicholas Pooran turned away from a brand new central contract generated far less discussion than there is hair found on the scalp of an ageing old man who doesn’t have that much time left.

But what was more saddening: the fact that Nicholas Pooran of all cricketers turned his back against accepting a new contract to play for his West Indies or the lack of disappointment or this lack of public outcry at Pooran’s strange call?

Regardless, there are two sides to every story and in this case, both suggest that endless discussions on the matter may lead to no good. It’s not that the current West Indies cricket board doesn’t look after its cricketers which is why many of the big hitting and hugely talented lot undergoes a globetrotting adventure to make ends meet. And yet, at the same time, it is no longer true that those who are already playing multiple white-ball T20 leagues such as the CPL, the BPL, and the IPL, of course, Nicholas Pooran included, are not making money; they are earning handsomely.

Is Pooran not?

He is. Yet, why he turned away from the West Indies representation when offered a new contract under the leadership of the Hon’ble Desmond Haynes is beyond comprehension. Yet, only plausible to say that he may have had his reasons.

Jumping to conclusions never helped any cause and won’t save the day today. Therefore, what makes sense to a great extent is to make sense of Nicholas Pooran’s decision after running into what he achieved in 2023.

And truth be told, what he did should make everyone, whether a Trinidadian who idolises Brian Lara or a Barbadian whose hero is Sir Sobers, proud of the leftie in the Windies national colours.

Here’s why:

Nicholas Pooran scored no fewer than 428 runs from just 9 innings in the one-day format this year. This included two centuries, both of which came during critical moments for his West Indies team in the June-bound World Cup qualifiers event; a contest the islanders lost eventually.

But Pooran, who spent time at the crease, took time to execute his otherwise gorgeous-looking lusty blows, hung in there. He bided his time and added a sense of focus and direction to his shot making. The end results were visible in the decisive knocks played against Nepal and the Netherlands game; in the latter contest, Pooran anchored Windies’ big first inning total, before shoddy, direction-less bowling did them in.

What was, rather extraordinarily, on display for the West Indian batsman in 2023 was that Pooran stayed put at the crease for 382 one day deliveries. For a batsman known to be assertive but also wayward at times, batting on for well over an entire one day innings’ duration was the real highlight.

Pooran, the batsman, this year was a beast; but one who didn’t attack blindly or go immediately after his kill. He watched, hatched a plan, thought about things and then, attacked; something that comes naturally to his instinct-driven game.

Alas, with the decision to turn away from the new central contract, the West Indies were be left bereft of seeing a glorious batsman doing what he did so well this year: batting with caution, something new to his game. Not that he didn’t go for those big expansive strokes. But Pooran battled in 2023 and that’s what the West Indies who notably don’t have Evin Lewis, Kyle Mayers and now, Pooran, are going to miss in the coming days.

That’s even as the main feature of the sport will soon be T20 cricket; the world cup being just half a year away.

However, there’s a sense of gladness in that Nicholas Pooran admits to be intentionally playing more T20 leagues at the moment in a bid to prepare for the big World Cup in the Caribbean. But then, it’s a world of a difference when you play for a franchise versus when you embrace the pressure for your actual national side.

The Hopes have borne it and ditto for Shepherds’, Alzarri’s and Akeal’s. Look at where their game is today.

Imagine the difference that Pooran, already in form in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup qualifiers, could’ve to a Windies minus Hetmyer? Shimron’s lack of runs despite constant opportunities haven’t helped his game one bit.

But also imagine just how valuable might Nicholas Pooran’s presence have been to Shai Hope who, as per normal, is once again West Indies’s best one day performer?

Agreed that a lot of the games ahead for the Windies won’t be about one dayers and will likely be about T20I’s in the wake of the fast approaching World Cup.

But ahead of such a mega campaign, why do anything especially from a player perspective that harms the team’s balance and make up?

Time to not only bat for the Windies, but give these points a bit of a think, no Nicky P?