West Indies sit on the cusp of elimination, but stranger things have happened...

NICK FRIEND: They will need to win three games – at least two by considerable margins to arrest a sickly net run rate – and still hope for other results to go their way. Yet, as with Carlos Brathwaite five years ago, stranger things have happened...

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The dynasty isn’t officially over, but West Indies’ grasp on their T20 World Cup crown has not been this loose since Carlos Brathwaite strode to the crease in the 2016 final, with the game seemingly up.

We all know what happened then, but this time the odds are stacked against them to a far greater degree. A group fraught with the danger of six full-member nations was always expected to chew up at least one well-fancied team.

Just, not many felt it would be Kieron Pollard’s men: a who’s who of the format’s best players, captained by a serial winner and, in Chris Gayle, possessing an all-time icon. In their demolition by England, Pollard batted at No.7, Andre Russell at No.8. Today, those roles were filled by Shimron Hetmyer and Dwayne Bravo. It is a rare kind of depth.

Speaking on commentary, Darren Sammy wrote off their opening defeat, advising his former teammates to bin it and move on. The great thing about aberrations, he pointed out, is that they only happen once. Or else, they wouldn’t be aberrations.

“We take full responsibility for what transpired out there and for us, games like these, you try to bin it as quickly as possible and then you move on,” Pollard added on Saturday, echoing the thoughts of the former captain.

In short, even in a competition format as tightly knitted together as this, you’re allowed one poor performance. But not two.

“We just have to do what it takes,” Pollard reflected, reflecting on how his side had ended up 25 runs light of where they might have reached. He wouldn’t be moved to criticise Lendl Simmons, his opening batter and compatriot, who played out the joint-longest innings in terms of balls faced without a boundary in T20 World Cup history. “We came here as a West Indies team to do a job, and when we win, we win together. When we lose, we lose together,” he said.

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Kieron Pollard's men are on the brink of elimination

There were 18 dot-balls before Kagiso Rabada put Simmons out of his misery in the 14th over for 16 off 35 deliveries.

For a team so committed to its strategy of six-hitting, it made for a strange, awkward beginning; some suggested that it was a subconscious legacy of the post-England criticism, when West Indies succumbed for 55 in in 14.2 overs, with eight men caught. That, though, seems unlikely, given the strength of the characters at Pollard’s disposal, not least his own.

Simmons – it is more likely – simply endured one of those days. On commentary, Shane Watson was excellent at piecing together his strife in real time: his backlift becoming shorter and taking on a staccato tempo as he attempted to get away from the strike.

The nature of T20 cricket is such that there is less time for a team to recover from a knock like that, with more than a quarter of the innings used up for little gain.

There are some advocates for T20 sides to start retiring out flailing batters – it wouldn’t contravene any of the game’s laws – but that feels like an unsatisfactory strategy, if only because the bowling team deserves to benefit from forcing a struggle like Simmons’ on the opposition. The idea that he could be tactically withdrawn in favour of a player in better form feels too much like a cop-out. Besides, one of the great characteristics of elite athletes is the capacity to find a way, even – as for Simmons in Dubai – when nothing appears to be working.

Otherwise, the ambition of West Indies’ batting could hardly be faulted, though its execution left much to be desired. Evin Lewis shone brightest; his half century – especially in the context of his partner’s discontent – was a fabulous exhibition. “Outstanding,” said Pollard.

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West Indies were well beaten by South Africa

“We have to dig deeper as a team. We have to dig deeper as a batting unit. We have to come out and hold our heads up and try to play a good game of cricket.

“We have to get wins on the board now. We've put ourselves in a position whereas from a run rate perspective that's pretty low, and from a win percentage we haven't won any games, so we have to win the next three games. We just have to take it one at a time and try to improve each and every time.”

While the batting is yet to ignite – “I thought that we didn't bat well collectively as a team,” Pollard offered as his summary take – it is worth recognising the absences of Samuel Badree and Sulieman Benn, both of whom were so effective in tandem as a spin axis in 2016.

It is easy to overlook the bowling department, especially when the top order isn’t firing on all cylinders. But there is a reason for which Badree, especially, was so highly rated through his career.

And that is not to criticise either Hayden Walsh Jr or Akeal Hosein, both of whom have performed manfully. Hosein, particularly, has done a fine job since replacing Fabian Allen in this squad.

But suddenly, this campaign risks becoming ending prematurely. If there is any side with the requisite firepower, nous and experience to accomplish what is required of them now, Pollard and co might just be that group. But they will need to win three games – at least two by considerable margins to arrest a sickly net run rate – and still hope for other results to go their way.

Yet, as with Brathwaite five years ago, stranger things have happened.

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