In their Group C opener, the West Indies defeated Papua New Guinea by five wickets, albeit playing a little shakily at times. They then easily defeated Uganda by 134 runs. Nevertheless, with Afghanistan up next and New Zealand to overcome, the Caribbean team will be hoping for a stronger second half in the group rounds.
The Darren Sammy-coached West Indies are aiming for another victory, which would secure them a berth in the Super Eight and all but eliminate the Black Caps, with four points already secured and New Zealand still to score.
The match, which is slated to take place under lights at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday, is expected to draw a record attendance.
Capt. Rovman Powell of the West Indies feels it will be an interesting challenge, but he also sees it as a chance for his squad to show off the style and form they have been enjoying for the last 15 months.
The West Indies, who are currently ranked fourth, defeated South Africa, India, and England in series by scores of 2-1, 3-2, and 3-2, respectively, during that span before falling to Australia, 1-2. They defeated South Africa 3-0 at Sabina Park before the World Cup.
“The players have been playing some excellent cricket, so we are fairly confident, and we know that New Zealand will present a different challenge than our last two opponents. Powell said to reporters at a pre-match news conference on Tuesday that “we should be okay if we just focus on ourselves and play good cricket.”
“If you look at the past 12 or 14 months, or the past year, you will see that the West Indies have played excellent Twenty20 cricket. The players have worked really hard leading up to this World Cup, so maybe we can demonstrate that effort. So, it’s simply a continuation of what we’re doing. Afghanistan and New Zealand are two of the more traditional countries, but I think we should be alright once we put our attention on ourselves,” he continued.
Powell stated that the fact that Afghanistan defeated New Zealand by a significant margin of 84 runs, bowling them out for 75 runs, indicates a potential weakness in their game, which he and his side are attempting to exploit.
“Now seems like a great time to play in New Zealand, if there ever was one. They’re a little undercooked, and this game will determine whether they advance or not, so the pressure is really on them. However, Powell pointed out that we are not concentrating on New Zealand, rather we are concentrating on the tasks at hand, and after we do them, the rest will fall into place.
Having said that, the Jamaicans reiterated their goal to win a record-breaking third T20 World Cup. Powell is hopeful that the West Indies can now win a title on home soil, something he said would mean more to cricket in the region than just winning one more trophy. The West Indies won the 2012 and 2016 tournaments in Sri Lanka and India.
“For West Indies cricket, there are a tonne of advantages to hosting a World Cup at home. We would be the first team to win a T20 World Cup at home if we were to go on and win the competition. Powell reasoned that, in addition to being advantageous for many different islands to get international cricket of such high caliber, hosting also strengthens the West Indies cricket industry financially.
“As players, we have the chance to make our mark in West Indies cricket history, and we will all be recognized for this accomplishment if we win the World Cup on home soil—not just me as captain, though.
“But we have to continue to manage those expectations because they are based on our performance in T20 cricket, which has put us at the top of the international rankings. Expectations and pressure are always present when playing at home, but I think the boys have accomplished that. Now all we need to do is continue to play well and delight the crowd,” he said.
