Windies, PNG hoping to start World Cup on right note today

While the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup got going in Texas, USA on Saturday evening, the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD) will be a hive of activity today, as West Indies and Papua New Guinea get things going in Group C.
With an eye on securing their third T20 World Cup title, West Indies Captain Rovman Powell shared just how important starting with a win today would be for their campaign.
“Any World Cup campaign you play, you want to start off with a winning note, you want to start off with getting your feet wet from a winning perspective. You know, winning drives confidence, winning the group and it’s important for us to start on a winning note,” an optimistic Powell shared.

The West Indian Captain added, “That’s definitely something high on our agenda, so, hopefully, tomorrow [today] the rain can stay away and West Indies can play close to a pretty good game.”
Quizzed about the conditions at Providence, Powell revealed that recent Caribbean Premier League (CPL) conditions here have given them some optimism about what to expect.
The West Indian player responded during a pre-match press conference on Saturday morning, “I think, five years ago, it would’ve been such a spinning ground, it would’ve been spin-based, but over the last two or three years, Providence would’ve become a place where batters start like batting. So, we expect that. We also have a lot of faith in the groundsmen that they will prepare good wickets. They’ve prepared good wickets here for CPL, where you get scores close to 200 or just over 200.”
“This is a World Cup, we expect them to continue to provide good wickets, not just for us as West Indians, not just for Papua New Guinea tomorrow [today], but for the whole duration of the World Cup. You know it’s West Indies on show and we’d want to put on a proper show from a curator’s standpoint or a cricketing standpoint,” Powell went on to explain.

On the other hand, Papua New Guinea Captain Assad Vala expressed an intention to challenge the ‘powerhouses’ especially with their new arsenal in Phil Simmons.
Vala told media operatives on Saturday, “Looking forward to the game against West Indies tomorrow [today]. We’ve been working really hard on our game to test ourselves against one of the powerhouses of cricket, in West Indies. The boys are really looking forward to that opportunity.”
“Like he [Simmons] asked about the conditions and stuff, he’s a legend of West Indies cricket, he’s been working in CPL and coached some of the great teams, coached West Indies to the World Cup in 2016. So, having him, getting tips from him, he’s been working with the players and individually on how to play on this wicket. So, really happy to have him on our team,” the Papua New Guinea Captain further stated.
As they head into their tournament opener, Powell highlighted how special a World Cup win would be at home and the benefits it would have for the Caribbean side.
“It’s very special to be honest, not just for me, but for the other players and the people of the Caribbean. The possibility of winning a third World Cup title in front our own people in the Caribbean is something very, very, special. If you should look on it from all perspectives, it’s very important for us as players; it’s a legacy,” Powell related.
The West Indian all- rounder further stated, “Also from a financial standpoint, you know, 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 so that all that money that comes with winning the World Cup could be filtered down into our youth programme and to help the benefit of West Indies cricket.”
The battle between West Indies and Papua New Guinea will bowl off at 10:30h today at the National Stadium.