PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Merissa Aguilleira hopes to use the unpredictable nature of Twenty20s to spur West Indies Women to an upset victory in the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup next month in the Caribbean.
The West Indies Women’s captain believes her side is as well placed to win the WWT20 as any of the other seven teams taking part in the Championship at Warner Park in St Kitts.
“We are in our own backyard, and I think we have as good a chance as any of the teams to win this T20 World Cup,” said Aguilleira.
“We will be at an advantage being at home, and we have to let this work for us… We are taking all the games very seriously because T20 cricket is a funny game.”
She added: “All the teams have a chance, and we are going to play each game as a virtual final.
“The girls all love T20 cricket, and they are all keen and raring to go. They always have great fun in T20 matches, and they say it will be no different this time around.”
Aguilleira and her team-mates are also buoyant, following a stunning One-day International and T20I series victory over England, World champions in both formats, last year at the same venue for the tournament.
“The victory against England was really big for us, and we are looking to continue from where we left off,” she said.
“We are looking to move into this T20 World Cup with that momentum and hopefully the girls can deliver this time again.”
Aguilleira believes her spin bowlers will hold the key to the West Indies Women progressing all the way to the Final in Barbados on May 16.
“What we have noticed is that spin bowling is playing a bigger and bigger role in T20 cricket in terms of restricting teams and we intend to use this to good effect,” she said. “We have some very good spinners and they will be the key.
“All 14 members of the squad can bat, and this is great for us. We have performed well with the bat in our recent games and this gives me a lot of confidence once our spin bowlers can get the job done either way.”
The West Indies Women will be encamped in St. Kitts for the next month, when they will also p
lay a series of warm-up matches against Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
