Does the modern game of cricket still need the West Indies?

Once the most feared force in world cricket, West Indies now sit on the margins of the Test game — and this episode asks the uncomfortable question many fans are thinking but rarely say out loud.

Sanjay Murthy is joined by former Leicestershire cricketer and editor Damian Brandy to explore what really went wrong: from administration and infrastructure, to poor pitches, player incentives, franchise cricket, and the failure to adapt to the modern era.

This is not nostalgia. It’s an honest conversation about whether Test cricket is weaker without a strong West Indies — and whether the decline was inevitable, avoidable, or self-inflicted.

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00:00 – The uncomfortable question: does cricket still need the West Indies?
01:18 – Damian Brandy’s early career & life in professional cricket
02:36 – Big personalities, pressure & mental health in county cricket
04:19 – Would players thrive more in today’s environment?
05:28 – Why this conversation really matters now
06:30 – Excuses vs reality in West Indies cricket
08:29 – Why the legends keep coming back — and why it hasn’t worked
10:07 – Money, World Series Cricket & what never changed
12:23 – Is forced Caribbean unity part of the problem?
13:06 – Asking “why” until you reach the real issue
14:35 – The shocking standard of West Indies pitches
15:42 – How bad wickets destroy batting technique
16:41 – Talent isn’t the issue — development is
17:37 – A 10-year rebuild: what would actually fix it
18:16 – Do young West Indians even want to play Test cricket?
19:50 – What India got right with the IPL
20:49 – Can the CPL genuinely save West Indies cricket?
21:47 – How T20 cricket has changed Test cricket forever
22:20 – Administration vs culture: who’s really responsible?
23:16 – Could West Indies cricket disappear from Tests?
24:18 – Would Test cricket be weaker without them?
25:06 – Final thoughts: legacy, relevance, and reality

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