The West Indies Cricket Team, affectionately known as “The Windies,” represents far more than just a sports team. It embodies a rich tapestry of Caribbean identity, resilience, and unparalleled cricketing prowess. From their iconic jerseys to their dominant era, the Windies have carved a legendary path in the world of cricket.

PLAYER NAMEJERSEY NO.
NA1
Shimron Hetmyer2
Jason Mohammed3
Carl Hooper4
Ashley Nurse, Fidel Edwards5
Shivnarine Chanderpaul6
Marlon Samuels, Akeal Hosein, Ridley Jacobs7
NA8
Brian Lara, Courtney Ambrose9
Roston Chase, Sherwin Campbell10
NA11
Andre Russell12
Shamarh Brooks, Phil Simmons13
Ravi Rampaul14
NA15
Romario Shepherd16
Evin Lewis17
Ridley Jacobs, Adrian Barath18
Jimmy Adams, Sheldon Cottrell19
NA20
NA21
Kavem Hodge22
Mervyn Dillon, Kieron Powell23
Kemar Roach, Keith Arthurton24
Johnson Charles25
Carlos Brathwaite26
NA27
Devon Smith28
Nicholas Pooran, Reon King29
Tagenarine Chanderpaul30
NA31
Corey Collymore, John Campbell32
Nikita Miller, Jayden Seales33
NA34
Carlton Baugh35
Tino Best36
Runako Morton37
NA38
NA39
Chemar Holder40
Miguel Cummins41
Oshane Thomas42
NA43
Lionel Baker44
NA45
Darren Bravo46
Dwayne Bravo47
Gavin Tonge48
Brendan Nash49
Dwayne Smith50
Reyad Emrit51
Rovman Powell52
Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brandon King53
Nkrumah Bonner, Lendl Simmons54
NA55
Danza Hyatt56
Chadwick Walton57
NA58
Yannic Cariah59
Floyd Reifer60
Obed McCoy61
Sulieman Benn62
NA63
Gudakesh Motie64
Sewnarine Chattergoon, Jomel Warrican65
Justin Greaves, Narsingh Deonarine66
NA67
Sherfane Rutherford68
NA69
NA70
Kyle Mayers71
Andre Fletcher72
Kirk McKenzie73
Sunil Narine74
NA75
NA76
Samuel Badree77
NA78
Ronsford Beaton79
Denesh Ramdin80
Akeem Jordan81
NA82
NA83
Keemo Paul84
Shannon Gabriel85
Hayden Walsh, Garey Mathurin86
Raymon Reifer87
Darren Sammy88
Nkrumah Bonner89
NA90
NA91
Yudip Cariah92
NA93
NA94
NA95
NA96
Fabian Allen97
NA98
Sunil Ambris99
Shai Hope100
West Indies Team Jersey

The Evolution of the Windies Jersey


The journey of the West Indies cricket team’s jersey reflects the broader evolution of cricket attire.

  • Early Era: Like all teams in the formative years, the Windies initially donned traditional white kits, as seen during the 1983 World Cup.
  • The Colour Revolution: A pivotal moment arrived on November 28, 1978, with Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket. This groundbreaking initiative introduced coloured clothing to the game. In the inaugural day-night match, the WSC West Indies XI sported coral pink, while the WSC Australia XI wore wattle gold. This bold shift, coupled with white cricket balls and black sight-screens, revolutionized One-Day International (ODI) cricket.
  • World Cup Adoption: Coloured clothing became the standard for ODI cricket at the 1992 World Cup, with fans often expressing a fondness for the kits from both the 1992 and 1996 tournaments.
  • Standardization: By December 2000, coloured attire was universally adopted for all ODI cricket, while Test cricket continues to uphold the tradition of white uniforms.
  • Current Designs:
    • For 50-overs (ODI) games, the jersey is predominantly maroon, featuring the West Indies Cricket Board’s logo and the supplier, Macron.
    • In T20 matches, players wear a yellow shirt with maroon sleeves, also displaying the board’s logo and the supplier’s name.
    • Test matches see players in a white jersey with their names and numbers printed in maroon.
    • The Digicel sponsor is also a prominent feature on the Windies jersey.

Retired Jersey Numbers: A Unique Approach


Unlike many other sports and teams that formally retire jersey numbers for their legends, the West Indies Cricket Team does not explicitly mention this practice. While the provided list of West Indies cricketers and their jersey numbers (1-100) doesn’t denote any as officially retired, certain numbers are informally linked to iconic players. For instance, Brian Lara wore number 9, Chris Gayle number 45, and Darren Bravo chose number 46 as its digits sum to 10, which was Brian Lara’s Test cap number.

Facts About the West Indies Cricket Team


The Windies’ story is one of dominance, cultural significance, and unwavering passion.

  • Dominance and Legacy: “The Windies” possess a vibrant and rich history. They were the most dominant team in cricket from the 1970s to the 1990s, boasting an incredible pool of talent, including legends like Clive Lloyd, Brian Lara, Michael Holding, and Viv Richards.
  • Team Composition: Uniquely, the team is not a single national entity but comprises players selected from 15 Caribbean countries, representing six cricket associations: Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, and Windward Island.
  • Historical Standing: The West Indies Cricket Board joined the Imperial Cricket Council (now ICC) in 1926, becoming the fourth Test nation, and played their first official Test match in 1928.
  • Symbol of Independence: In the post-war era, the team’s ascendancy coincided with Caribbean nations gaining independence. Matches against England became potent political affairs, symbolizing self-determination and liberation from colonial oppression. The team was perceived as an “ideological and politicized species.”
  • Overcoming Stereotypes: The team was at times condescendingly referred to as ‘calypso cricketers,’ a stereotype they actively sought to dismantle.
  • “Grovel” Controversy (1976): England’s Tony Greig, from apartheid South Africa, famously stated his intention to make the West Indians “grovel.” This deeply offensive comment, invoking historical and ongoing racial and national humiliation, ignited the team’s determination. Captain Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards effectively used this as motivation.
  • Social Significance: As described in C.L.R. James’s Beyond a Boundary, cricket served as a “stage” for “representative roles charged with social significance,” highlighting early racial segregation in clubs. The Shannon Club, comprising dark-skinned black cricketers, played with a spirit that resonated with the broader black population.
  • Inspiration: West Indian cricketers drew inspiration from anti-colonial movements and the Olympic black power salute of 1968. Viv Richards, reflecting this fervor, called Bob Marley his “battlefield music” and declared, “My bat would have been my sword.”
  • Strategic Evolution: Following a humiliating loss to Australia in 1975, where they faced aggressive fast-bowling and racist crowd abuse, the West Indies adopted their own formidable fast-bowling strategy. This aggressive style, though criticized by some as “brutal,” was viewed by the players as a necessary response to aggression.
  • Golden Era Dominance: From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, the West Indies team was the undisputed best globally. After 1979, they did not lose a series for fifteen consecutive years. Their four fast-bowlers, consistently bowling over 90 miles per hour, were famously dubbed “the four horsemen of the apocalypse.”
  • Current Challenges: Despite its historical significance, cricket’s dominance in the West Indies has faced challenges from the rise of other sports and entertainment options. The global T20 leagues have also impacted the traditional structure, with some players prioritizing lucrative contracts over international representation. Nevertheless, the passion for the game endures.
  • Team Flag: The West Indies cricket flag, designed by Sir Algernon Aspinall in 1923, is maroon and features a palm tree, wicket, and sun in the foreground, with a beach in the background. Before 1999, the flag did not include a wicket and featured the constellation Orion instead of the sun.

Achievements


The West Indies Cricket Team boasts an impressive array of achievements that solidify their place in cricketing history:

  • ICC World Cup (50 Over): Winners in 1975 (inaugural) and 1979. They were also runners-up in 1975, 1979, and 1983.
  • ICC World T20: Champions in 2012 and 2016. Notably, the West Indies women’s team also secured their first T20 World Cup title in 2016.
  • ICC Champions Trophy: Winners in 2004 and 2006.
  • ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup: Winners in 2016.
  • Simultaneous World Champions (2016): In a historic feat in 2016, they became the only team in history to simultaneously hold three ICC World Cup titles: the Men’s ICC World T20, the Women’s ICC World T20, and the ICC Under-19 World Cup.
  • Test Records: The team of the 1970s and 1980s is widely considered one of the best in Test cricket history. They set a record streak of 11 consecutive Test victories in 1984, which was part of a still-standing record of 27 Tests without defeat. They also achieved two 5-0 “blackwashes” against England. Their highest innings total was 790 for 3 against Pakistan in Kingston in 1957-58.
  • Individual Batting Records: Four West Indies players have achieved the rare feat of triple centuries in Test cricket: Brian Lara (400* and 375), Garry Sobers (365), Chris Gayle (333 and 317), and Lawrence Rowe (302).
  • ICC Hall of Fame: Numerous esteemed West Indian players have been inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, including Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Desmond Haynes, Learie Constantine, Wesley Hall, Brian Lara, Curtly Ambrose, Joel Garner, Courtney Walsh, Lance Gibbs, Garfield Sobers, Viv Richards, Malcolm Marshall, Everton Weekes, Clive Lloyd, Rohan Kanhai, Michael Holding, Frank Worrell, George Headley, Clyde Walcott, Andy Roberts, and Gordon Greenidge, among others.

Here are some FAQs based on the provided information about the West Indies Cricket Team:


Q1: What are the primary colors of the West Indies cricket team’s jerseys for different formats?

For 50-over (ODI) games, the jersey is predominantly maroon. For T20 matches, players wear a yellow shirt with maroon sleeves. In Test matches, players wear a white jersey with their names and numbers printed in maroon.

Q2: When did coloured clothing first appear in West Indies cricket, and what was the occasion?

Coloured clothing first appeared on November 28, 1978, during Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket. The WSC West Indies XI played in coral pink in the first-ever day-night match.

Q3: Has the West Indies Cricket Team officially retired any jersey numbers for its legendary players?

Based on the provided information, there is no explicit mention of any jersey numbers having been officially retired by the West Indies Cricket Team. However, some numbers are informally associated with iconic players, like Brian Lara’s number 9 and Chris Gayle’s number 45.

Q4: How many countries contribute players to the West Indies cricket team?

The West Indies cricket team comprises players selected from 15 Caribbean countries, representing six cricket associations.

Q5: What was the “Grovel” controversy in 1976, and how did it impact the West Indies team?

In 1976, England’s Tony Greig, from apartheid South Africa, stated his intention to make the West Indians “grovel.” This deeply offensive comment ignited the team’s determination, with Captain Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards using it as motivation to fight against the perceived racial and national humiliation.

Q6: What unique record did the West Indies Cricket Team achieve in 2016 regarding World Cup titles?

In 2016, the West Indies became the only team in history to simultaneously hold three ICC World Cup titles: the Men’s ICC World T20, the Women’s ICC World T20, and the ICC Under-19 World Cup.

Q7: How long was the West Indies team’s undefeated streak in Test series after 1979?

After 1979, the West Indies team did not lose a Test series for fifteen consecutive years.

Q8: What is the highest innings total achieved by the West Indies in Test cricket?

Their highest innings total was 790 for 3 against Pakistan in Kingston in 1957-58.

Q9: Who are some of the West Indies players who have scored triple centuries in Test cricket?

Four West Indies players have achieved triple centuries in Test cricket: Brian Lara (400* and 375), Garry Sobers (365), Chris Gayle (333 and 317), and Lawrence Rowe (302).

Q10: What is featured on the current West Indies cricket flag?

The West Indies cricket flag is maroon and features a palm tree, wicket, and sun in the foreground, with a beach in the background.