As the West Indies head into the three-match T20 series against Bangladesh, their skipper Carlos Brathwaite is confident his unit can come out on top.
Brathwaite, who spoke to the media at the end of the training session yesterday said his team is in pretty good form with a lot of the players coming from the Canada Global T20 and he has no problem with them just going out there and expressing themselves.
“I just want the boys to go out there and express themselves with a lot of the boys coming from Canada T20 where they did very well,” Brathwaite said.
The T20 captain added that the West Indies have been a known giant in the format it will still require proper execution by the players to win the series. “You know traditionally we’ve been powerhouses and it’s a matter of time we get together and continue to exert that dominance,” the 26-year-old noted.
While confident in his squad, the all-rounder, whose name rose to prominence by hitting four consecutive sixes in the 2016 International Cricket World Cup final to win the match for the West Indies, said that “we play our best when it’s a relaxed atmosphere and we just have fun once we take that on the field I’m sure we will come out on top.”
But Brathwaite was wary of their opponents who have shown their fighting spirit.
“Big respect to Bangladesh as well they are a formidable white ball team as we saw in the one day series but we know if we put our a game out there not much teams can catch us on that day,” he said. At the Warner Park, where the first T20 is scheduled for today, the captain said “a bit of runs scored there and it will be very exciting for the fans and hopefully we get a big turn out from the West Indians and in the United States.”
“As a captain and a bowler with setting the field and managing the team it becomes a bit hard but equally I’m up to the challenge.”
He added: “as a batting unit it’s about staying disciplined and not letting up on the opposition.”
Marlon Samuels who missed on in the One Day series makes his return to international cricket while Andre Russell who was injured prior to the first One Day is also in the side along with Paul.
Noticeably absent is the duo of Chris Gayle and Shimron Hetmyer who finished as the two most successful run scorers for the West Indies in the 50 over format.
Despite winning the T20 World Cup twice, West Indies have slumped to eighth position while Bangladesh occupy the 10th spot in the ICC rankings.
West Indies have one player in the top 10 rankings of each category in the format with Samuels (all-rounders’ rank fifth), Samuel Badree (bowler ranked fifth) and Evin Lewis (batting ranked seventh) occupying those spots.
