T20 World Cup 2024: A happy communion of past, present and future

After an exhausting 24-hour flight from Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, with a stopover at London Heathrow, the Diary finally landed at Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados. Beyond competitive cricket, the Caribbean tour has already proven to be an unforgettable journey — one that the Diary once thought would remain a distant dream. The island’s stunning beaches, welcoming people, warm hospitality, and fervent passion for cricket have left an indelible mark. The Diary eagerly anticipates a return, hopefully in the not-too-distant future.

Barbadians speak a rich, melodious version of English, shaped by the dialects of early settlers from the English Midlands. This unique speech, peppered with charming local idioms, initially felt foreign, but by the end of the week, the Diary had embraced its distinctive allure.

A poster of Sir Garry Sobers at the Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados. 
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Special Arrangement

According to the locals, Barbados is the finest island in the Caribbean — a claim that sparks lively debate among residents of Trinidad, St. Lucia, and beyond. The tiny island, 21 miles long and 15 miles wide, is abuzz as English fans pour into the Kensington Oval for a pivotal Group B showdown against their archrival, Australia. The stands are a vibrant sea of red, white, and blue. The venue is just a few typos away from being the Kennington Oval!

The Diary has often observed that the knowledge of taxi drivers offers a unique glimpse into a region’s passion for cricket, particularly in the sport’s traditional strongholds. “That passion is still there,” remarks Marc St. John, a cab driver in Bridgetown. “But I think the people here struggle to accept this West Indies team.”

Renewed hope: Fans in the Caribbean truly believe that this is the year their team wins a record third T20 World Cup title. 
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As the conversation wore on, Marc’s tone grew increasingly despondent, though he hadn’t lost all hope. “I don’t think the glory days of Holding, Marshall, and Richards are coming back… naah, brother, that’s not happening,” he lamented. “But I feel we get so caught up in our past that we fail to appreciate the current side for its title wins.”

A glowing example of Barbados’ enduring love affair with cricket is the five-dollar note issued by the Central Bank of Barbados in 2018. The obverse of the green note features the Barbadian coat of arms, a map of Barbados, and a portrait of the legendary cricketer Frank Worrell. On the reverse, the note depicts the 3Ws (Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes, and Clyde Walcott) and the Oval cricket facility located at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.

Entrance to the stadium at Trinidad and Tobago.
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Special Arrangement

Over at the Oval, the Diary encounters John, a local keymaker, and inquires about his allegiance. His response is surprising. He hopes England or India makes it to the finals, not West Indies. “If we reach the final, it’s just going to be home fans. We need visitors to kick up the business. It’s been tough after COVID-19,” he explains.

One can’t help but feel the weight of those words. The heart of Caribbean cricket, once beating with unyielding pride, now grapples with the harsh realities of modern economics. Meanwhile, Australia delivered a clinical performance on the field, with its trio of fast bowlers and leg-spinner Adam Zampa dismantling England and spoiling the homecoming of local hero Jofra Archer.

Next stop? The kingdom of the cricketing prince, Brian Charles Lara. The Diary arrives at Piarco International Airport in Trinidad after a swift hour-long flight from Barbados, greeted by a persistent drizzle and cool winds — a refreshing reprieve from the relentless heat and humidity endured back home over the past four months.

It is the start of the rainy season in the Caribbean and the weather department issued thunderstorm warnings ahead of what was West Indies’ first men’s World Cup match at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad. But luckily, the rain clouds steered clear and the atmosphere remained festive as, in front of a packed house, West Indies qualified for Super Eight and knocked New Zealand out. The fans were serenaded before the start of play as Calypso legend David Rudder sang ‘Rally, Rally ’Round the West Indies’. The stirring anthem was released in 1987 but adopted as the team’s ‘national’ anthem in 1999, coinciding with the onset of a downward spiral that would afflict the West Indies for a decade.

Note-worthy: The 5-dollar note issued by the Central Bank of Barbados in 2018 features a map of the island, its coat of arms, and a portrait of the legendary cricketer Frank Worrell. 
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

The Diary can say from first-hand experience that despite the concern of many about the state of West Indian cricket, the fans in the Caribbean truly believe that this is the year their team wins a record third T20 World Cup title.

West Indies skipper Rovman Powell talked about it before the tournament began. “It’s very special, to be honest, not just for me but for the other players and for the people of the Caribbean — the possibility of winning a third World Cup title in front of our own people in the Caribbean is something very, very special,” he said at a press interaction. “For us as players, it’s a legacy. It’s something that, after we finish playing, we can sit down and tell our kids and grandkids, our family, and just replay those memories of 2024.

“Also, from a financial standpoint, we know the standard of West Indies cricket, and it would be a massive boost for us to win the World Cup. So all that money that comes with winning the World Cup can be filtered down into our youth programme and help benefit West Indies cricket.”

No team has ever won the T20 World Cup on home soil before, but Powell’s men seem determined to break that hoodoo. The final will be played in Barbados on June 29, the land of Worrell, Weekes and Walcott, at a ground with stands named after Desmond Haynes and Gordon Greenidge. A happy communion of past, present and future would be the perfect ode to West Indies cricket.