GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):
DESPAIR STEMMING from their failed campaigns at the two most recent editions of the ICC Twenty20 World Cup has given way to optimism, as an upbeat West Indies launch their bid for a third title when they open their campaign against minnows Papua New Guinea in Guyana today.
West Indies’ 10:30 a.m. assignment at the Guyana National Stadium is expected to be a straightforward one, especially against opposition whose only previous appearance at a T20 World Cup saw them knocked out after the first round, failing to reach the main draw of the 2021 tournament in the Gulf States.
For their part, West Indies will remember that World Cup well, but for all the wrong reasons, as it was then their nightmare began. A star-spangled side managed only one win in five outings in the group stage, to finish one from the bottom of their group and miss out on the semi-finals.
The Caribbean side fared little better the following year Down Under, stunned in the qualifying rounds to finish last and fail to qualify for the group stage for the first time.
The shockwaves which reverberated throughout the region saw the resignation of then captain Nicholas Pooran and head coach Phil Simmons, but it set in train the momentum that West Indies has since gathered.
Under new captain Rovman Powell and new head coach Darren Sammy – under whom West Indies won the T20 World Cups in 2012 and 2016 – West Indies have once again become a force to be reckoned with in the shortest format, winning all but one of their five series since the start of 2023.
More significantly, they beat South Africa away and knocked over powerhouses India and World champions England at home last year, and have won 11 of their 19 games, climaxing with a ruthless 3-0 takedown of South Africa in Jamaica last week.
Wins important
“I think the preparations over the last month or so have been very good,” Powell told a media conference yesterday.
“You know, we take pride in our series leading up to the World Cup because we realise how important it is to have series wins coming into a World Cup where you need those wins to use as additional confidence. And I think it has been good.
“You mentioned the fact that we have Darren Sammy, our coach, a two-time World Cup winner for the West Indies. That should provide us with additional resources that we need when things get tight because he has been in the position already before.
“Hopefully, his experiences and knowledge can spread across the group and be very fruitful for us in this World Cup.”
West Indies’ first T20 World Cup triumph came when they beat hosts Sri Lanka in a final in Colombo, before following up with a dramatic last-over victory against England in the final in Kolkata.
No hosts have ever won the event, but Powell said the thought of doing so was “very, very special” and would be a “massive boost” for West Indies cricket.
“The possibility of winning a third World Cup title in front of our people in the Caribbean is something very, very special,” the Jamaican said.
“If you should look at it from all perspectives, it’s very important. For us as players, it’s a legacy. It’s something that, after we finish playing, we can sit down with our kids or grandkids or family and just replay those memories of the 2024 World Cup.
“And, also from a financial standpoint, we know the standard of West Indies cricket and it would be a massive boost for us to win the World Cup for West Indies from a financial standpoint, so that all that money that comes with winning the World Cup can be filtered down into our youth programmes and to help for the benefit of West Indies cricket.”
In their solitary previous meeting with Papua New Guinea, West Indies beat them by six wickets in a 50-over World Cup qualifying game in Harare six years ago but were made to work hard before getting over the line.
However, with the home side boasting the likes of Powell, Pooran, Andre Russell and in-form opener Brandon King, they will be expected to easily overpower the Pacific nation, who will depend largely on leg-spinner Charles Amini for both runs and wickets.
SQUADS:
WEST INDIES – Rovman Powell (captain), Alzarri Joseph, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Obed McCoy, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Assadollah Vala (captain), Alei Nao, Chad Soper, CJ Amini, Hila Vare, Hiri Hiri, Jack Gardner, John Kariko, Kabua Vagi Morea, Kipling Doriga, Lega Siaka, Norman Vanua, Sema Kamea, Sese Bau, Tony Ura