Windies seek World Cup redemption

PAARL, South Africa:

The West Indies unveiled their 15-man squad for the upcoming International Cricket Council T20 World Cup on Monday, blending seasoned power-hitters with crafty bowlers in a bid to reclaim the trophy they last won 10 years ago.

Captain Shai Hope, speaking at the squad announcement, struck a tone of confident realism, acknowledging recent struggles while firmly believing that this unit can ignite on the world stage.

"World Cups are special, and as a player, you want to play on the biggest stages possible," Hope stated.

STRONG FAITH

He expressed strong faith in the group's composition and big-game experience.

"This is an experienced group of players, and we are no strangers to playing in these conditions," Hope said. "We've got plenty of power and skill in the batting and quality bowlers who can adapt to conditions on any given day to help us compete and win matches consistently."

The tournament marks a return to India, the scene of the West Indies' last T20 World Cup triumph in 2016, a dramatic final at Eden Gardens where Carlos Brathwaite famously smashed four consecutive sixes to seal victory.

BIG EXPECTATIONS

Hope did not shy away from the weight of that history or the disappointment of the team's early exit on home soil in the 2024 edition.

"Big expectations for sure," Hope admitted. "What we've been doing for the last two or three years or so hasn't been pretty spectacular. But as I said, we've been showing sparks. So now the challenge for us is to do it consistently in a major tournament."

The captain pinpointed synchronisation and situational awareness as the keys to unlocking the squad's undeniable potential.

"As long as every one of us is firing, and we are understanding when and where to do certain things, we're going to be a very good team in this World Cup."

His road map to glory was clear, and that is to find momentum early and sustain it.

"As long as we're clicking in the world tournament and we find that momentum and we carry that all the way through, I think we're going to have a good chance of getting to the latter stages, and hopefully, potentially winning the World Cup."

The memory of 2024's missed opportunity at home now fuels a mission of historical redemption abroad.

"We wanted to lift that trophy in front of our home fans, but we couldn't do it," Hope reflected. "So, hopefully, we can rewrite that history that we had back at Eden Gardens last time around."

- CMC