BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Flashy opener Lendl Simmons says he is enjoying his new lease on life after stroking his third successive one-day half-century against in the series against Pakistan on Monday.
The 26-year-old, ignored by West Indies selectors for over a year before this tour, has been the leading batsman in the series with 202 runs at an average of 50.
His 76 in Monday’s fourth One-Day International helped West Indies to a one-run win courtesy of the Duckworth/Lewis Method, their first success of the five-match series.
“I’m having a good series. My form started from back in the Caribbean T20 (in January) when I did well for Trinidad and Tobago and I have remained in a positive frame of mind,” said the right-hander.
“I’m feeling good when I go out to bat and I always back myself. I am expressing myself and getting positive results with the bat.”
Simmons has scores of 24, 51 and 51 in the series to date but those three knocks were to no avail as Pakistan won all three matches handsomely.
However, the Trinidadian says he was aiming for three figures in tomorrow’s final game in Guyana to help West Indies claim a second win.
“I’m taking it step by step, day by day. I would like to get a ‘big one’ in the final match and help us to end the series 3-2,” he stressed.
In the last game at Kensington Oval, Simmons said the Caribbean side had been determined not to lose a fourth straight game to Pakistan.
“We entered the day 3-0 down in the series and some people might have felt we would have given in, but we got a good start from the bowlers and as batsmen we knew we had to finish the job,” he said.
