By Zainab Shafiq 
The decline of West Indies cricket hit a new low this week as the Caribbean side slumped to a historic series defeat against Nepal in Sharjah. What should have been a routine assignment against an emerging Associate nation turned into an embarrassment, with Nepal claiming their first-ever T20I series win against a Full Member. For a team that once dominated world cricket, losing to Nepal has only deepened questions about West Indies’ competitiveness in the modern era.
Nepal vs West Indies: Series Recap
1st T20I – Nepal won by 19 runs
Nepal 148/8 (Paudel 38, Malla 30, Holder 4-20, Bidaisee 3-29)
West Indies 129/9 (Bidaisee 22, Bhurtel 2-17, Yadav 1-6)
Nepal stunned the cricket world by outplaying the two-time world champions in their very first T20I clash. It was a collective effort with both bat and ball, as Rohit Paudel’s 38 anchored the innings and their bowlers defended brilliantly. For West Indies, only debutant Navin Bidaisee and Jason Holder showed fight, but the batting collapse summed up their woes.
2nd T20I – Nepal won by 90 runs
Nepal 173/6
West Indies 83 (17.1 overs)
If the first match was historic, the second was humiliating. West Indies folded for just 83 while chasing 174, handing Nepal a thumping 90-run win and the series. Their batting lineup crumbled under sustained spin pressure, with no player able to apply himself against Nepal’s attack.
3rd T20I – West Indies won by 10 wickets
Nepal 122
West Indies 123/0 (12.2 overs)
The visitors salvaged some pride in the final game, chasing down 123 with 46 balls to spare. Yet the damage was already done, as Nepal sealed the series 2-1.
From Australia to Nepal: A Pattern of Collapse
This series loss is not an isolated incident but part of a wider collapse in 2025. Earlier this year, West Indies were bowled out for just 27 runs against Australia, the second-lowest Test total in history, before being whitewashed 3-0 in the series. In T20Is, they put up big scores but repeatedly failed to defend them, losing three straight games despite totals of 189, 173, and 214.
Then came the England tour, where they lost all three ODIs and all three T20Is, making it six straight defeats on English soil. Against Ireland, they managed a few wins, but even there they suffered a crushing 124-run ODI defeat, exposing their inconsistency.
Now, losing a series to Nepal, a side playing only its first bilateral series against a Full Member, has become the latest black mark on their already battered 2025 record.
The Bigger Picture: No ICC Events
West Indies’ absence from major ICC events adds to their misery. They failed to qualify for the 2023 ODI World Cup, and the 2025 Champions Trophy will also go ahead without them. For a nation that once set the standard in world cricket, missing back-to-back flagship tournaments is an unmistakable sign of their decline.
What Went Wrong?
The downfall of West Indies cricket is rooted in multiple issues:
- Boardroom Battles: Ongoing disputes between players and Cricket West Indies over contracts and payments have eroded trust.
- T20 League Drain: Top talent prioritises global leagues like IPL, CPL, and ILT20, leaving the national team under-strength and unsettled.
- Leadership Instability: Frequent captaincy changes have stopped the side from developing a long-term vision.
- Weak Domestic Pathways: Infrastructure and youth development remain underfunded, producing flair but not technically solid players.
- Mental Fragility: Recent collapses show a lack of fight, a far cry from the resilience of past generations.
Can They Recover?
Rebuilding will not be easy, but it’s still possible if urgent reforms are made:
- Develop stronger domestic competitions with better coaching and pitches.
- Secure players with central contracts to reduce the lure of leagues.
- Invest heavily in Under-19 and grassroots cricket.
- Appoint a stable leadership group with a 3–5 year roadmap.
- Reintroduce discipline and accountability across formats.
Conclusion
From record-low Test scores to being outplayed by Nepal, the West Indies’ 2025 has been one disaster after another. The series defeat in Sharjah is more than just a blip, it is a wake-up call that the once-mighty giants are on the verge of becoming irrelevant in world cricket. Unless structural changes are made urgently, West Indies risk being remembered only for past glories rather than present achievements.
For now, fans across the Caribbean are left asking the painful question: has the soul of West Indies cricket already slipped away?
Also, see:
The Downfall of West Indies Cricket in 2025
Anas Ahmed