Windies close to finalising World Cup squad – Sammy
Some 81 days out from the highly-anticipated ICC men’s T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and United States of America (USA); West Indies Head Coach Daren Sammy says he is quite close to determining the final team that will represent the hosts at home, in pursuit of a record third T20 World Cup title.
In a recent interview, the two-time World Cup-winning Captain divulged that there are only about two spots in the West Indies T20 team with question marks still lingering over them.
Daren Sammy already has an idea of his final squad for the T20 World Cup
Sammy shared, “Less than 100 days to go. You know, obviously over the last year and a half, we’ve been fine-tuning our team. From a cricketing aspect, we’re trying to come up with the final squad of 20, which we’ll have to pick 15 from.”
“The guys have been playing some very good cricket. We’re at a very settled stage with our team. Maybe one or two spots we’ve got to tinker with,” he went on to disclose.
Sammy, who led the West Indies to World Cup wins in 2012 and 2016 as a player, highlighted communication as a major part of their preparation, revealing that players already know what is expected of them.
Sammy explained, “But for me, the Head Coach of the team, you know [I] already start establishing that communication. Guys already know what roles they have to execute, my constant dialogue with skipper Rovman Powell, making sure we both are in sync and aligned with the things we are looking to do.”
West Indies’ Men will be hunting a third T20 World Cup title this June
Turning his attention to the global event that will move across the Caribbean and USA from June 1 to June 29, Sammy says that hosting means ‘everything’ and expressed hope in organisers for ensuring the event goes smoothly.
“Hosting the world Cup in West Indies is everything. We hosted it in 2010, we did not win, but to have it on our home shores again, the impact it will have not only on us cricketers in the islands, in the Region,” he said.
He added, “I’m pretty sure from an administration and planning department, the World Cup Committee in the Caribbean, the different Governments are doing everything to make sure the facilities will be up to date.”
The 2024 World Cup will bowl off in the USA on June 1 with a clash between hosts USA and Canada at the Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas. The other hosts, West Indies, will mark the beginning of the games in the Caribbean, as they battle Papua New Guinea on June 2 at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
While the semi-finals on June 26 and 27 are set for Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana respectively, the grand finale will be hosted at the Kensington Oval, Barbados on June 29.
