Can the Caribbean Kings' empire rise once again under Richard Pybus

The West Indies cricket team has had a journey like no other national team. In over four decades, the team has gone from being formidable champions to mere pushovers. The team, presently, is fighting hard to regain lost glory and is looking up to one man for a firm push in the right direction - Richard Pybus.

Pybus, former coach of Pakistan and Bangladesh, was recently appointed director of cricket in West Indies. The Englishman has had tremendous impact on teams he has coached and now has the task of revitalising West Indies cricket - from the grassroot level to the national side.

The intent and focus of West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) by appointing Pybus is clear - to have a mentor who can transform the sport and not just a professional who can help win matches and tours. After all, despite winning the world T20 title, West Indies' Test cricket is especially considered 'sub-standard' when compared to teams like India, Australia, England and South Africa.

When fighting against lower-ranked teams, West Indies' cricketers have fared reasonably well. In fact, the team has won its last three Test series - against Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and New Zealand. However, in Test matches preceding these three, the team floundered. India (2011), Australia (2011) and England (2012) repeatedly showed that West Indies cricket still has a fair distance to travel to match up to their high standards.

In fact, the last time West Indies managed to win a Test series against a strong team was when it scraped past England 1-0 in a five-Test contest at home in 2008-09 season. The joy though was short-lived as a touring Bangladesh came and thrashed West Indies 2-0 to reveal glaring cracks in the side once again.

These are the cracks that Pybus will now seek to fill. Paired with Ottis Gibson, head coach of the national team, Pybus is capable of equipping the Test side with a lethal edge. "I am particularly looking forward to working with the West Indies teams, the first-class sides, the High Performance Programme and the educational structures, to ensure a rigorous, competitive system that feeds through elite players to international level," the 49-year-old recently said about his new role.

West Indies cricket too seems to be waiting with bated breadth for Pybus. "Securing the services of Richard is a major coup for the WICB," said WICB chief executive Michael Muirhead. "He has extensive knowledge in designing and managing successful cricket development systems both at the grassroots and elite levels, and we look forward to him building on the work we have already done."

Pybus though is no magician for sure. His appointment won't galvanise the West Indies team. It however will be his plan, strategy and work which will eventually help cricket in the Caribbean. With tough Test tours including India, coming up, Pybus will surely get several chances to assess and analyse to eventually take them back to their days of being Kings of Cricket.