Former West Indies captain and current assistant coach Carl Hooper expressed confidence in the preparedness of the West Indies team for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Qualifier, which is set to begin on Sunday in Zimbabwe.
Despite the absence of several regular players, the Caribbean side displayed its strength by defeating the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in three One-day Internationals. They arrived in the Zimbabwe capital last Saturday, carrying a positive mindset into the tournament.
In preparation for the Qualifier, the team engaged in two official warm-up matches against Scotland and the UAE, achieving victories. Hooper expressed satisfaction with the players’ performance and believed that they had acquired the necessary preparation.
Allrounder Romario Shepherd was in good form in Harare, smashing 53 off 34 balls and then bowling three overs in West Indies’ 91-run victory over Scotland. Rovman Powel hammered 105 off 55 balls, including eight sixes in West Indies’ 114-run win over UAE.
“Our aim was to ensure that our key players for this campaign had the opportunity to spend some time on the field,” stated Hooper, emphasizing the significance of the official warm-up matches. He recognized that several players had recently participated in the IPL but had limited game time, with the exception of Nicholas Pooran. Therefore, providing them with batting opportunities was crucial.
Hooper also highlighted the early morning start times for the games in Zimbabwe and noted the swing of the ball. The team had addressed this aspect during their preparations.
In the qualifier, West Indies were placed in Group A, alongside Nepal, Netherlands, United States, and the host country, Zimbabwe.
West Indies will open their campaign against the United States on Sunday at the Takashinga Cricket Club. Subsequently, they will face Nepal on June 22, Zimbabwe on June 24, and the Netherlands on June 26, all at the Harare Sports Club.
“We are ready; you can feel the energy in the team,” Hooper confidently expressed. He praised the inspirational leadership of Darren Sammy, who has been entrusted with guiding West Indies through the qualification process, acknowledging it as a significant achievement for the team.
Hooper acknowledged certain areas of concern that had previously hindered the team’s performance, particularly the ability to rotate the strike and handle spinners effectively during the middle overs. He said that the coaching staff has been actively addressing those issues.
During the Qualifier, each team will compete against the others in their group once. The top three teams from each group will advance to the Super Six stage, scheduled from June 29 to July 7.
In the Super Six stage, each team will play three matches against the teams they did not face in the group stage. The points earned in the group stage will be carried over to the Super Six stage, with the exception of points gained against the bottom two teams in each group.
The top two teams following the Super Six stage will contest the final on July 9 at the Harare Sports Club. The finalists will secure a spot in the World Cup.
Earlier last year, West Indies had failed to make it out of the qualifier to the T20 World Cup in Australia, losing to Scotland and Ireland. (Loop News)
