JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, CMC – Batsman Travis Dowlin says he is ready for the West Indies’ upcoming ICC Champions Trophy campaign which bowls off tomorrow.
The right-hander, who made his international debut against Bangladesh in July, is one of the under strength team’s leading batsmen and said he was looking forward to the opening game against Pakistan at The Wanderers.
“Preparation for the game against the Pakistanis has been going well. I’ve been fine-tuning my game and looking ahead to the match,” said the 32-year-old who has played two Tests and three One-Day Internationals.
“Because I will be batting in the middle order, I will be looking to rotate the singles and bat through the innings so the team can bat around me. That’s my mental focus at the moment.”
Dowlin made a big impression against Bangladesh, hammering a top score of 95 in Tests and a fine unbeaten, even century in the second ODI.
The right-hander, who has played for Guyana for over a decade, acknowledged that conditions here were different but said the team had managed to make the adjustment, especially after the 10-day camp at the North West Province High Performance Centre in Potchefstroom.
“It’s my first time in South Africa. We spoke to a couple of people who have played here before like Vasbert Drakes, and they have given us with some ideas as to how the wickets are going to play. We’ve been here a while now, have experienced the conditions and have adjusted accordingly,” Dowlin said.
“It all boils down to my performance. I need to be consistent and make a contribution to the team every time I go out there and bat. We are focused in our minds what we have to do.”
West Indies have been installed in a tough Group A where they will also face Australia next Saturday and India on September 30.
The Champions Trophy will bowl off today with South Africa and Sri Lanka doing battle at Centurion.