|
Ahead of his side's ICC T20 World Cup clash against South Africa, West Indies batting coach Floyd Reifer said that "there is no point to prove" for them despite a barren run in ICC events since their T20WC title win in 2016.
West Indies, who slammed 254, the second-highest total of T20 WC history, against Zimbabwe, will be aiming to continue their winning run against an equally dangerous Proteas, who are buoyed by a win over defending champions India in their last clash. While in terms of the on-field action, there is no active advantage either of these teams enjoy over each other, the fact that South Africa is playing in Ahmedabad again and enjoy the familiarity with the playing conditions at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Winning this match will help them solidify their claim as the second T20 World Cup 2026 semifinalist after England, and it will prove to be a strong boost to the Men in Maroon, who have spent more days at the field lagging behind instead of dominating since Carlos Braithwaite's four sixes sealed them the title back in 2016. Since then, their best finish has been a Super Eight finish, more precisely a fifth-place finish in the previous T20WC. In the 50-over format, they had the second-last position in the 2019 World Cup and failed to qualify for the 2023 World Cup held in India. However, despite a dominant run of performances in the tournament, which has left fans reminiscing about the Caribbean side led by its current head coach, Daren Sammy, during their two T20 WC title wins in the 2010s, Floyd does not feel the team has something to prove. "There's no point to prove for us, and we came here like any other team to win the competition, a lot of people have us flying under the radar, but we plan every game to go in there with a positive mentality to win cricket games," said the batting coach during the pre-match presser. Floyd also said that the group's "energy and vibes" are great, and they are all up for their task of winning their matches and playing some thrilling cricket, which would make them a team to beat. "We came here to play some good cricket, and that is what we have been doing so far. We have been planning well, batting well, bowling well, and fielding well. So you have to do all three of those departments in order to win cricket games. But for us, it is about ticking the boxes, guys are enjoying playing with each other, enjoying each other's company, and enjoying each other's success, that is important in a team setup," he added. Floyd also feels that with their performances so far, he thinks "the team has inspired the next generation of cricketers" back home. "Also the people of the Caribbean are very happy with how we are playing and obviously we want to go for it in the tournament so it's just for us to continue, like I said before, to do all the good things, make sure we tick the right boxes, make sure we plan well and execute well and they know that the Caribbean is rooting for us," he concluded. Squads: South Africa Squad: Aiden Markram(c), Quinton de Kock(w), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, George Linde, Anrich Nortje, Kwena Maphaka, Jason Smith West Indies Squad: Brandon King, Shai Hope(w/c), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph, Quentin Sampson, Jayden Seales, Roston Chase, Johnson Charles. (ANI)
|
