It has been a shambolic performance from West Indies in the ongoing World Cup Qualifiers 2023 in Zimbabwe. The Caribbean team entered the tournament as favourites. They were expected to cruise to the main event in India later this year. However, after losing to Zimbabwe and then Netherlands in a high-scoring game that was decided in super over, West Indies started the Super Sixes stage with a horrendous loss to Scotland. As a result, this will be the first time two-time One-Day World Champions won’t feature in an ODI World Cup.
West Indies captain Shai Hope was struggling to explain the decline in the post-match presentation. While coming to terms with the reality, when asked about the way forward he said, “The preparation needs to be better. We cannot come here and expect to be an elite team without preparation. Cannot expect to wake up one morning and be a great team. We know there is two more games left, we need to find a way to bounce back.”
Hope was disappointed with the kind of starts he got but he isn't sure about the exact reason behind the downfall. “To be honest, there is not one thing I can put my finger on. We let ourselves down in the entire tournament. We have to look at the way we start our innings definitely,” the 29-year-old said.
However, Hope feels there is no shortage of talent in the Caribbean islands. “There is no question about it. We need to make sure we transfer that talent into consistent performances,” an optimistic Hope said.
West Indies lost four wickets for just 30 runs against Scotland and ended up getting all out for 181. Hope said that it was a crucial toss and they knew about the kind of challenge Scottish pacers pose with the new ball. Jason Holder top-scored with a 79-ball 45 to help West Indies post a respectable total on the board.
West Indies still have to play two more matches in the qualifiers. Their next clash will be against Oman on July 5 followed by Sri Lanka on July 7.
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