Cricket legend Steve Waugh is saddened by the stunning decline and shambolic state of the once mighty West Indies and gives them next to no chance of toppling Australia this summer.
The West Indies were the pre-eminent Test side in world Cricket for the first few years of Waugh's career, blitzing opposing sides with a host of hostile fast bowlers and swashbuckling stroke-playing batsmen.
Waugh tasted just two wins and suffered six losses in his first 12 Tests against them.
Australia's series win in the West Indies in 1995 was the start of the decline, with Waugh enjoying eight successive wins over them from 1999 to 2003.
They have won only one of their last eight Test series and in the past decade have won just 15 and lost 45 out of 87 Tests.
West Indies now languish in eighth spot in the world rankings, a status that would have been unthinkable two decades ago.
They are the lowest ranked of the established Test nations with only Bangladesh and Zimbabwe below them.
"We'll beat the West Indies, I think that's almost a given," former Australian captain and champion batsman Waugh told AAP.
The Test rankings for individuals provide telling insights into their tailspin.
Veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul is their highest ranked batsman at 15th and their only representative in the top 27 of that category.
However, his mammoth 21-year, 164-Test career may be over as the 41-year-old left-hander hasn't been picked since he was omitted from the home series against Australia earlier this year after a lean run against England.
In the bowling category, paceman Kemar Roach (14th) is their only representative in the top 20.
"They were an amazing side, they had great body language and they had presence and aura and they dominated," Waugh said of the West Indies side at their peak.
"We in some ways copied their blueprint, we tweaked it around to suit our style.
"It's been sad the last 15 years, the constant infighting, the message that Twenty20 is more important than Test cricket by some of the senior players."
In the latest episode of turbulence surrounding the team, coach Phil Simmons was suspended last month from the current tour of Sri Lanka after querying the selection process for the one-day side.
"Phil Simmons is the one chance the West Indies have to get back on track." said Waugh, who played in Tests against Simmons in the 1990s.
"It's crazy stuff and it's shambolic really when you look at it.
"You talk to previous West Indies players and they shake their head.
"I hope they can make it back, but the signs aren't positive."
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