World Cup 2015: Humbling buildup by West Indies lowers expectations

The West Indies has failed to reach the semifinals in the last four Cricket World Cups.

It's a stretch likely to extend to five next month.

The squad includes some of the world's most desired limited-overs players, who can tear apart any side on their day. Too bad those days don't come often.

The team's buildup has been disheartening enough for seasoned observers to believe the West Indies won't even get out of its pool.

The two-time World Cup champions haven't won a limited-overs international series of note since mid-2012, against New Zealand at home. Cap that with the ill-judged walkout from the tour of India in October, and the pounding dished out by South Africa last month, and the portents are there of an early exit.

The main concern: the same mistakes keep repeating themselves.

By the batsmen, a lack of patience, confounding and lazy strokes, and little commitment to building partnerships. The bowlers have primarily bowled too short and off-line. Overall, the team seems to fail in adapting to the changing needs in a match.

"We are still a bunch of confident guys," Darren Sammy said in South Africa. "Obviously, you want to win matches and series but the purpose here was to build for the World Cup. I was telling the guys in the change-room, I don't mind a series loss if we beat South Africa in the World Cup. That would be the perfect response.

"With the amount of match-winners we have in our squad, we could be a force to be reckoned with, but we've got to play as a team."

To shake up the squad before South Africa, the selectors dropped captain Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard, and made Jason Holder of Barbados the youngest captain of the West Indies at 23.

Chris Gayle described the decision to drop Pollard and Bravo, who was picked in the world ODI team for 2014, as ridiculous. Their lawyer said they were being victimized for the India tour withdrawal. Chief selector Clive Lloyd said they'd done nothing exceptional: Bravo had a century and two fifties last year but nothing since March, while the allrounder Pollard had one half-century in almost two years, and no wickets since mid-2013.

Gayle is lucky to be going to his fourth World Cup, his reputation shielded by his Twenty20 blasts. In ODIs, he has one half-century in his last 17 matches, against Bangladesh in Grenada. His last century was against Sri Lanka in Jamaica, 20 months ago. He finished the South Africa series with 71 runs at 14.20. Despite his immense talent, he averages only 32 at the World Cup.

After Gayle, vice-captain Marlon Samuels was the most experienced. He had two centuries against India in October, averaged 39 in South Africa, yet he was still guilty of throwing away his wicket, and was involved in four run-outs.

Tasked with managing these personalities and drawing the best out of them was Holder, whose debut as captain was exactly a month before the team's first World Cup match on Feb. 16.

The West Indies captaincy is no easy ride. Richie Richardson, Brian Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul quit the post, and Gayle and Sammy were fired. Holder, a fast bowler, has reportedly showed a level head and a commanding presence since his school days. Lloyd praised Holder's cricketing brain and leadership, but some critics believed he should have taken over after the tournament.

Holder did all he could in South Africa to lead by example. He even cancelled training two days before the fourth ODI to call a players' meeting to outline his assessment of their performance. They won that match, chasing down 263-9 to win by one wicket. South Africa had rested Hashim Amla and Dale Steyn, then won the fifth ODI by 131 runs.

In a blow to West Indies' hopes, left-arm offspinner Sunil Narine withdrew to continue remedial work on his bowling action, while still taking wickets in domestic competitions. But the team has been bolstered by the return of middle-order bat Darren Bravo, after dealing with stress, and fast bowler Kemar Roach, after an ankle injury.

With hope in his heart, coach Stuart Williams, said, "Maybe (Bravo and Roach are) the spark that we need in the World Cup."