Is their recent win in South Africa the sign of better things to come?

Throughout the 1980s, the West Indies cricket team were an unbeatable outfit, undoubtedly the best team in the world, taking scalps time after time.

In the mid 1990s they blinked, drawing a Test series in England on territory they had previously found to be easy pickings.

It seemed that things couldn't get much worse when the team lost a Test series to England last summer for the first time since 1969, swiftly followed by a disastrous tour of Australia.

This year's South Africa tour witnessed many changes. Courtney Walsh retired as Carl Hooper took the captain's mantle from Jimmy Adams.

The last of the one-dayers seemed to show that the Windies still have the potential to shine, strolling to victory in difficult batting conditions with 34 runs to spare.

Does this mark a new beginning for the Windies under Carl Hooper?

Or are the team still missing talented individuals to match such greats as Malcolm Marshall and Clive Lloyd?

And is there any real replacement for Courtney Walsh?

Tell us what you think.

I think the current team is about the best talent-pool that they can find at the moment, although I must admit that Adams also was very much a team-man himself. Hooper is doing a mature job and also appears to be valuing his wicket a lot more these days.

There appears to be a level of unity in this young team, which was not the case in the recent past.This team will shape up. But one must realize that we can never compare them (or any other team) with Lloyd's kings.
Govind Balasubramaniam, USA

Every team goes through rough patch, Windies is no different. Now, especially after the home-series defeat against SA, Windies cricket board needs to pay some serious attention to upcoming talents. They need to send 'WI-A' team to all around the world to nurture this talent and open more academies to invest in the future. All the available expertise (past megastars) should be used properly to have a proper selection and honing of a world beating team. It is a lengthy process but we don't seem to have much of a choice.
Aarya, Carribean

Carl Hooper is a good captain, it is the individual players who have to understand their responsibilities in the team for the team to perform well.
Binoy George, India

The West Indies will bounce back. It is just a matter of time. What they have to do now is to stay focused, calm and work very very hard. Then they have to select a team with a mixture of younger (Samuels, Sarwan)and more experienced players (Lara, Hooper, Jacobs). This team should then be given the time to form and shape itself and I feel that within 18 months they can be a real force in world cricket again.
Luc Bostoen, belgium

In the early eighties Australia lost Lillie, Marsh and Greg Chapell almost overnight. There was a lack of experienced youth coming into the team and they subsequently struggled until a development program, Alan Border and young players like Taylor, Healy and the Waughs, turned things around.

England have gone through a similar slump however have taken much longer to put in place a development program and the necessary changes to avoid this in the future. The West Indies are no different. They can learn from the experience of others and once again become a sustainable World force. It may take time but they will once again rise to the top of the tree. The cricket world will be a better place for it.
Daryl, Australia

It just takes time for the team to gel together, just look at the England team for example. With some decent players getting into the game (Sarwan and Samuels are two names that come to mind) I'm sure that they'll improve in the next year or so.
John Ngo, UK

A sport with the global presence cricket has, makes it fascinating to watch the fortunes of countries see-saw. Fifteen years ago Australia were abysmal and the West Indies were on top of the cricketing pile, now look, it's a remarkable about turn in fortunes.

Why don't we sit back and wait for another decade or so and see who rules the roost then. The same analogy can be drawn in football between Germany and France, as it can in rugby between New Zealand and Australia. Let's remind ourselves that knocking teams off their dominant perches is not restricted to cricket only.
Anton, South Africa

One way West Indies cricket can go forward is by introducing contracts for they players, whereby the players will feel they have a place in the side and the pressure of performing will ease off as the players will know they are likley to a good run in the team.
Manesh Parmar, UK

The present crop of emerging West Indies players are not of the same calibre of players from the past, especially the bowlers, they are really a poor crop indeed. West Indies though must persist with the best of this bad crop, until some better players come along. Another issue is the decline of Barbados cricket standards. Bajans made up the greater part of the great WI teams, but of the current crop, no Barbados cricketer was good enough to make it into a very weak Windies squad.

Finally, I hope West Indies don't continue with Hooper if he underachieves like in times past. He has been given more opportunities than anyone else I can remember. Better let a youngster test the waters and fail than keep a tested failure in the side.
Anon USA/Grenada

West Indies had not done what Australians are doing. Australians are grooming youngsters at the same time they are carrying the wizards along. Windies kept faith with seniors and when they all left at once there was no time to rebuild. They should start from scratch and forget the past.
Parvez, Canada

The slump in the fortunes of the West Indies is a consequence of the WICB. Time was never taken to mold a successor to match the likes of Richie Richardson as captain and bowlers such as Ambroise and Walsh. Let's face it, every rope has its end.

We have good youngsters such as Sarrwan, Gayle, Samuels, Garrick, Powell and Hinds, but they need a sense of direction from the Laras, Hoopers and Chanderpauls and the ex-cricket greats such as Haynes, Greenidge, Richardson and the rest. We will be back as the best soon.
Sherman Sylvester, St. Lucia , West Indies

Too often we find players being picked for certain matches because they are from the island on which the match is being played. Young playes like Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Sarwan, Cory Collimore and Cameron Cuffy should be given the chance developed their skills and gain required experience.

These players are sometimes dropped even after creditable performances. West Indies cricket will definately shine again if the West Indies selectors show more faith in the young players who clearly have the potential.
Kemoy Symister, Jamaica

It's not a lack of talent that's the problem. It's purely the simple disciplines. It's sad that a team that started much of the modern professional era is lagging so far behind. The players give the impression they don't work at simple skills like backing up, catching, throwing and bowling accurately. It's hard to say from a distance but the problem looks more one of attitude than anything else. Basically they need a Duncan Fletcher type coach: Lots of hard work on the basics and they'd improve within a couple of years.
Paul, UK

I feel the young players who are coming into the side are not of the high standards of the past.
Manesh Parmar, UK

Sure, every team goes through a rotten patch. It's how you address the situation that matters. It is here that the West Indian selectors have to show more tact and less impulse. I say this because there is no sense in dropping any good players after some glitchy performances where they might have just had an off-day.

Guys like Franklyn Rose, Jimmy Adams and Reon King have made outstanding contributions in the past and are still good enough to play, but they are not even being considered.

Players with genuine match-winning ability should be stuck with, because it is only then that they will feel as if they should contribute to the team's cause, and that the team will start winning again. If you don't agree with me, just ask Stephen Rodger Waugh! And another thing-let's leave Courtney alone. He's had enough!
Mani Thangadurai, India

The West Indies team has a collection of decent looking youngsters (Gayle, Samuels, Powell, Sarwan, Dillon) and a good mix of experience (Lara, Chanderpaul, Hooper) so the basis of the team is there.

There will never be a true replacement of Walsh, but players such as Dillon and Collymore have the potential to be matchwinners for West Indies.

I feel that, as long as they are patient and keep the current crop of young players together, then they will be a real force within the next couple of years, just as Australia were.
Mike Fenna, UK