Radford eyes Windies resurgence

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It is an undeniable fact that the greats of any sport will eventually fall.

Regardless of how dominant a team or individual becomes, a subsequent downturn in fortunes is sadly inevitable.

The decline of West Indies, whose own era of supremacy across the 1970s and 1980s stands virtually unrivalled within cricket, has proven particularly severe. A 2-0 series victory over New Zealand this summer doubled the number of Test wins the Windies have mustered since they defeated England in Kingston at the start of 2009.

The recent success of Darren Sammy's side in the World Twenty20 has, however, provided optimism that the men from the Caribbean can once again become a consistent force to be reckoned with.

Assistant coach Toby Radford, formerly of Middlesex, is certainly a believer and hopes a generation can be inspired to reconnect with the game.

West Indies’ current crop may never match the heroics of Sir Viv Richards et al but Toby Radford believes a resurgence is in the offing

Asked whether West Indies could again become a superpower, Radford told ecb.co.uk: "Absolutely.

"We are not getting ahead of ourselves, but we saw a wonderful performance by a wonderful side. It's a side that, on paper, there's not many gaps missing.

"I think the key thing, though, is that hopefully youngsters will want to start playing again.

"If there's been a 10-15-year dip where satellite TV has come in from America and persuaded youngsters to play basketball and such, then hopefully this win can get the kids playing on the beach again the way they were.

"That's what I hope will happen because, if you're doing that - they are natural athletes - you are going to have a bigger pool to find the next Marlon Samuels and the next Chris Gayle.

"It's about people playing and the interest level you see again. I think it will have a spin-off."

Such a spin-off would certainly be welcomed, not only in the Caribbean, but by the many fans around the world who consider West Indies their second favourite team.

In Sri Lanka, many were won over by the Windies' joyous approach to cricket and post-victory partying - something that was not lost on Radford.

"I know in Sri Lanka we silenced the crowd (by beating the hosts in the final), but afterwards a lot of the Sri Lankans were terrific," he added.

"They are very hospitable people and really liked the West Indies and followed us throughout the tournament. We had really good support. Wherever we go, people get behind us and relate with us.

"They (our players) play and enjoy it and, when they have won, they enjoy it even more."

When a side has endured tough times after such unparalleled greatness, they should probably live in the moment and soak up the glory.

Yet it will be difficult for others not to get excited about the potential continuation of West Indies' revival - even if it is clear the feats of Sir Viv Richards and Co are unlikely to ever be matched.