ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, CMC – Embattled West Indies have refused to give up hope of reaching the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup, despite facing the Herculean task of winning their last two games by huge margins – beginning with Sri Lanka today – in order to qualify.
The reigning champions will enter the 6 pm (10 am Eastern Caribbean time) fixture at the Zayed Cricket Stadium here with their chances hanging by a string, sitting fifth in the six-team Group 1 on two points, and saddled with a negative net run rate.
Unbeaten England top the group with eight points with a match remaining and have all but booked their spot in the final four while South Africa, second on six points, lie in pole position to grab the second available spot from the group.
Australia, third on four points, have two games remaining including one against West Indies on Saturday.
Though a defeat to Sri Lanka will seal their elimination, captain Kieron Pollard said there was a quiet confidence throughout the squad of ending the preliminary phase strongly, especially with precious little left to lose.
“In this thing called life and sport, nothing is impossible,” a relaxed Pollard told a media conference here yesterday.
“What I can safely say is yes, the guys are confident. We know exactly what sort of is needed in terms of from a run rate perspective, and we’ll take all things into consideration when that match starts.
“But I also believe that it’s very, very important that we continue to go through the process of trying to improve each and every time as a team and especially from a batting perspective, and that’s going to be the order of the day.
“It’s our opportunity now. Guys can sort of take off the shackles that have been sort of holding us back in terms of obviously our batting performance. There’s no secret about that.”
He continued: “But having said that, I think it’s very, very important that we think about winning a cricket game and all the other possibilities that’s around it, as well.
“But the main focus is an opportunity to play another game of cricket representing the Caribbean nation, and we will, and try to do some justice to our talent and what is expected of us as a team.”
One of the pre-tournament favourites, the star-studded Caribbean side has flopped spectacularly.
They suffered a six-wicket crushing at the hands of unbeaten England in their first match after being bundled out for a near historic low of 55 and then found themselves at the end of a sound eight-wicket thrashing by South Africa in their second game.
Their three-run, last-over win against Bangladesh last Friday was hardly convincing either, with the likes of veteran superstars Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons and Pollard himself all still failing to fire.
While conceding the group were disappointed by the performances, Pollard said the atmosphere in the camp had remained upbeat.
“From what we have seen the last couple days and even before that – even before the last game against Bangladesh – and the way the guys have actually prepared and done incredible things in that aspect of it, I think the mood has not dropped in that scenario,” he explained.
“As individuals, as I said, you’re going to be disappointed in how things would have transpired, individually for some guys as well in terms of performance.
“I can safely say that, yes, things have not gone as we would have liked, but the pride that these guys have, obviously, they want to still come out and give a good account of themselves.”
He continued: “For us the mood is pretty good, the atmosphere, the camaraderie within the camp is good. Still a lot of smiles on the faces, and guys still trying to enjoy the moment. At the end of it we have an opportunity, and we still have an opportunity to play cricket, so no need to be disappointed.
“Yes, we are [in a] results-oriented environment or from a worldwide perspective everything that we do is based on results, and the results have not gone our way or how we would have liked it to go, and that we accept and that we know. There’s no secret about that.”
SQUADS:
SRI LANKA – Dasun Shanaka (captain), Kusal Perera, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Avishka Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara, Maheesh Theekshana, Akila Dananjaya, Binura Fernando, Pathum Nissanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa.
WEST INDIES – Kieron Pollard (captain), Nicholas Pooran, Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Akeal Hosein, Dwayne Bravo, Roston Chase, Andre Fletcher, Shimron Hetmyer, Evin Lewis, Jason Holder, Lendl Simmons, Ravi Rampaul, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr.
