GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – West Indies skipper Chris Gayle has called on his players to be more consistent in every aspect of the game after they progressed to the Super-Eight, second round of the World Twenty20 Championship.
The hosts conceded a sizeable 191 against familiar foes England on Monday at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, and though they turned out winners in the end, Gayle said he thought the bowlers were a little too erratic.
“We have got to be more consistent in the bowling department. Having conceded 191 runs against England, I think we just lacked some penetration and good line and length, but hopefully we can get it correct by the next round,” Gayle remarked.
In their first game against Ireland, the hosts whipped minnows Ireland by a comfortable 70-run margin, while they got the better of England by eight wickets under the Duckworth/Lewis Method after rain intervened shortly after the West Indies commenced their chase.
Since the inauguration of the Twenty20 Championship in 2007, West Indies have not been able to lift the title, and Gayle said he believed this was a great opportunity for the guys to be finally successful especially playing at home.
“I think we have a good chance of making the Caribbean people proud, and with these two victories in Guyana, we should go from strength to strength. We just have to stay focussed and play hard cricket over the next two weeks,” Gayle said.
“I think the crowd was fantastic in Guyana, and I still call on the people to continue with this sort of support.”
West Indies will now meet Sri Lanka on Friday afternoon at the Kensington Oval in a rematch of last year’s semi-final when the Windies lost.
