NEW DELHI (Reuters) -West Indies have suffered back-to-back series whitewashes by Australia and India in a run of five straight losses that has exposed not just technical and structural gaps but a deeper erosion of the pride that once defined the famous maroon cap.

The former behemoths of the game have been on a steady decline since the 1990s and often struggle to assemble a decent test squad having lost their best talents to the lure of franchise cricket.