(This is being written on June 23, before the West Indies/South Africa clash.)
It is the closing stages of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. This is the final group game for both teams. However, SA could retain a semblance of hope if they lose, but not the WI: in other words, the Caribbean team has to win to have a chance to play in the semifinal.
After a slow, hesitant start in their first game of the tournament against Papua New Guinea, the West Indies team has shown keen progress by qualifying for the tournament’s Super 8 grouping. They bashed Afghanistan, followed by a whipping from England, and now, for their final group match, they oppose SA.
The West Indian bowlers did not bowl well against the Englishmen in the game leading up to this one and were given a severe thrashing especially by Phil Salt and Jonny Bairstow, running away to the victory target of 181 with an unbroken partnership of 97.
Not to take anything away from the excellent batting of the English pair, nevertheless, the bowling was not up to standard and had deteriorated from the last couple of games. Romario Shepherd should not have played, having left the team to visit Guyana, where his wife was about to give birth to their second child.
Nothing is wrong with that, but one must understand that leaving the group for a few days creates a gap that may disrupt concentration and mental alertness. Being absent from team duties like practices and meetings, plus the distraction of a matter of utmost personal importance, obviously had an effect on Shepherd, as his game fell away badly after that short break.
If WI are to be in the semis, then the players have to be on top of their game. This means full concentration, a positive and compelling attitude and a 100 per cent confident approach to winning. This mindset must be present throughout. It’s the only way.
This temperament is needed, for no one wins without it. The coach, Daren Sammy, and the captain, Rovman Powell, they have to inculcate this mentality in their players, as repetition is the ideal preparation.
The only way the bowling could fall away to such extremes is if the bowlers are not practising enough, or not being guided in the positive approach, which means bowling ball after ball at a particular spot on the pitch or to a stump, for hours on end. Apart from becoming more accurate in their deliveries, they will also improve their fitness.
Sammy said after the loss against England, “It’s part of the game.
“This loss will not dampen our spirits. We still believe that we’ve got a team that could win this World Cup, and that’s what I’ll tell the guys inside when I speak to them: park this game, put it in the garbage.
“And we move forward to Barbados, where we win against the USA, and then we have South Africa in Antigua on Sunday.”
I’m not sure that I agree with this advice about putting this game in the garbage.
I believe the coach should analyse the game with his team, pick it to pieces and see what one can learn from it so that mistakes are not repeated and fi
