CHENNAI, India, CMC – West Indies will not be having a restless nights of the threat posed by England marquee spinner Graeme Swann.
“He has been England’s premier bowler and is in the top 10 in the world. Obviously what he has done in the past two years, nobody can question. We have utmost respect for what he does,” said captain Darren Sammy, ahead of their World Cup, Group B contest yesterday.
“We will play him accordingly, showing the respect he deserves. But at the end of the day, he’s still a human and we have batsmen equally capable of dominating. All in all, it will be a good contest.”
Swann, a wily off-spinner, has taken nine wickets in the tournament and is expected to be a key part of England’s arsenal when they face West Indies at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in the day/night encounter beginning at 2:30 pm (5 am Eastern Caribbean time).
He has experienced rich success against West Indies, taking 26 wickets in five Tests and will hope to translate this into the ODI arena.
West Indies face an England side on the brink of elimination from the tournament as a defeat will condemn the World Twenty20 champions to their third loss and will keep them in fifth place in the standings.
Sammy said now was an ideal a time as any to play their perennial rivals, especially since they had entered the World Cup on the backs of a heavy schedule.
“It’s good time to play England. Obviously they have been on the road for a long time,” he smiled.
“That’s something that would be on their mind. In order to stay in India, they’ve got to win, or maybe some of them want to go home to their families.”
