Winning has a way of changing the gloom of defeat into a return of confidence.
The West Indies captain Darren Sammy was delighted to know that his team won the T20 tournament against South Africa in the recently concluded three-match series.
As in all cases of victory, a congratulatory message should be appropriately sent to the team. The fans are delighted and now, the hope of an even greater success in the ODI's seems eminent.
I suppose that viewing the game from an angle of the "on the field" performances by the players, caused me to take a good look at both teams that are engaged in competition, and what did I see?
The South Africans decided that they would expose some unknown regulars to participate in the satellite tournament, despite the fact that the West Indies is probably the best team in the world in that type of game.
There must have been a reason why they decided to omit Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel, AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla and Quinton De Kock.
My guess is that they are not prepared to have the top players play in a competition which they consider the least important. They probably viewed the ODI matches as essential to the preparatory exercise for the upcoming World Cup.
However, it was clearly obvious to me that the pain of disappointment and possibly anger had clearly affected Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard in the three matches.
Maybe the West Indies Cricket Board is not aware of the frame of mind which absolute disappointment can have, especially when the decision to omit them, seemed unjustifiable in the eyes of most fans across the Caribbean, and NOT only Trinis, as one TV presenter alluded.
Honestly, why would these two super all-rounders be enthusiastic, when they know that their present performances will make no difference to their chances of playing the World Cup?
Has Clive Lloyd and his selecting partners understood the feeling of distraught, and possibly anger in the hearts of two lads, who are probably the most popular one day cricketers in the world.
Because I consider the statistics in Test cricket to be the figures on which we judge top cricketers, the fans view the T20 and ODI's as entertainment and a brilliant "cameo" as the media experts describe a brilliant inning with the bat.
An exciting half century with six sixes and two fours will be more acceptable than a boring stroke less fifty in a test match.
Have we noticed that the players in the short games are applauded by their brilliant catches, their cutting of runs with their diving efforts to avert a boundary?
These are the bits of entertainment that Bravo and Pollard bring to the game and with fair success as well.
Now Lloyd and his crew may wish to relate their poor scores in the T20 to justify their omission in the world Cup. That will be a totally unfair judgment.
It will be very interesting if they play well in the ODI's for their country and contribute more than those already selected for the World Cup.
There is really no justification for the selectors' decisions, regardless of what is said by Lloyd.
Some may claim that nothing could have been done by the Board about the team selection.
Somehow, I was under the impression that the WICB had to ratify the selection of the team before it is official, and despite the fact that Board directors are tight lipped to give an open opinion of the chosen team, who can stop the various Cricket boards from stating their opinion?
However, being the diehard supporters that we are when it comes to West Indies cricket, we shall hope that they win the ODI series. But, can they?