Just under two months before the start of the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup, West Indies head coach Daren Sammy says there are only two spots left to be filled for the 15-man squad for the showpiece event in the Caribbean and the United States.
The West Indies who were unbeaten in T20 series in 2023, went down to Australia 2-1 earlier this year, but Sammy says the selection panel is comfortable with the core of the squad that is to be led by Jamaican Rovman Powell.
“We’ll be having a camp leading up to the World Cup in Antigua. This camp is set to start on May 10. The biggest thing for us has been the preparation, and we’ve shown that whenever we prepare well, we give ourselves the best chance of performing. That was shown in 2023 as we didn’t lose a T20 series,” Sammy stated at a press conference yesterday.
Sammy explained that at present, he is more than satisfied with the team’s ‘engine room’ as he believes this area holds the key for the West Indies’ success. He added that the core group of players are already showing a heightened sense of belief, which he believes is critically important.
“Where our team is really strong is in the engine room. What I call the engine room is from number four to seven, where you have your all-rounders coming in and keeping on the pressure. I’m quite happy with where we are as a T20 team as we’re building towards the main event. I see a group of men that believe that they can win and belief is a strong thing in any walk of life,” he shared.
“It’s going to be a hard team to pick. I’m pretty sure that we already have 13 players who’ve already booked their places, so it’s just the last two spots that will be very difficult to pick. This is a role that I’ve enjoyed, both the successes and challenges that it has brought,” he revealed.
Sammy shared that all of the preparation phase is geared at seeing the team lift the World Cup title for a third time.
“The system that we’ve implemented is just geared towards winning the World Cup, and that’s what we have to do,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, CWI Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe confirmed that Jamaica will host South Africa in three T20 matches starting on May 24, but prior to that, there will be a camp for the players ahead of the tournament.
Additionally, the West Indies A team will take part in a tour of Nepal for five T20 matches in April and May.
It will be the region’s first tour of the nation that will also take part in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
The West Indies open their World Cup campaign against Papua New Guinea on June 2 in Guyana.
Charles, Holder , Alzari, Myers and King are only passengers on this team but insularity and lack of cricketing intelligence will keep them in the team
I am lost at your comments I understand everybody else except Charles and King who are pretty consistent.