Gros Islet (St Lucia): West Indies captain Rovman Powell is expecting a “very good game” against England in the T20 World Cup Super Eight encounter on Wednesday after their four-match unbeaten run in the group stage.
Windies finished Group C with a thumping 104-run win over Afghanistan on Tuesday and remained undefeated in their campaign so far.
The co-hosts will take on the defending champions at the same venue where they thrashed Afghanistan in their last group match. Powell said the conditions at Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium are suitable for batting and they will have their plans in place for the English team.
“I think the conditions are pretty good. It’s good for batting, it’s good for bowling, it makes for very good cricket. When you look at the English team, they are defending champions. And they are a very good team. And so, it’s for us now to just sit and find some plans and see how those plans can work against them,” Powell said in the pre-match press conference.
On the win against Afghanistan, the Windies captain said, “It’s not necessarily to send them a message, It’s just to show them that as much as they are playing good cricket, we’re playing good cricket – so come Wednesday night it should be a very good game.”
“I think it’s (whatever happens) on the day,” he added.
West Indies have the upper hand against England in the T20Is with 17 wins in 29 matches including a series win in the last series between them in 2023.
Powell also mentioned that both sides are familiar with each other’s strengths and weaknesses and the side playing better cricket on the day will win.
“When we play the English guys so often, we play them actually every year, so they know a lot about us, we know a lot about them. It’s just that when you’re playing the game on the day, whoever gets on top has to stay on top for as long as possible,” he said.
Powell admitted the left-arm pacer Obed McCoy’s three-wicket haul against Afghanistan in his first game of the tournament has created a selection headache for the side.
“Definitely, it’s always encouraging when you give guys an opportunity and they take the opportunity and it makes for good competition within the squad and it’s for us as a selection panel, myself, the coach, and the chairman, are selected to actually sit down and try to find the best combination. It’s good that guys are putting themselves up and making it a little bit difficult to pick the team,” he said.
Opener Johnson Charles’ mixed show in the tournament with only 87 runs in four matches including two ducks is an area of concern for West Indies. However, he smashed a quickfire 43 in just 27 balls on his home ground.
Powell is unperturbed with the batter’s form and feels that he will perform well at his home venue.
“I think a big part of my captaincy is giving guys opportunities and supporting the guys. Johnson Charles didn’t have particularly a good start to the [T20] World Cup but we always knew when he comes home, he’s going to be at (his best), he’s going to feel at home, he’s going to feel his St. Lucian behind him,” Powell said.
–IANS