Chennai, India – West Indies will be looking to topple England in Thursday’s ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Group B match and make it four wins in a row. Speaking on Wednesday ahead of the match, skipper Darren Sammy said the Windies are not too worried about the fate of England. The team’s focus was on winning the match and advancing to the quarter-finals.
Chris Gyale will return West Indies clash with England. Photo courtesy Brooks LaTouche Photography
First ball at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium is 2.30 pm (5 am Eastern Caribbean Time/4 am Jamaica Time).
“It’s a big game for England. We are treating it just like any other game. For us it’s all about focusing on our plans and executing them to perfection. Our job is to do what we have to do. To do what we came here to do.
“Before the tournament few people gave us a chance. We worked hard to reach this stage where we are one win away from the next round. We know what is required, a victory and that will take us through,” Sammy said.
The Windies will welcome back talisman all rounder Chris Gayle in the top of the order. He is now fully recovered from a lower abdominal strain.
“Our physio (CJ Clarke) has said that Chris is fit and ready to go. We welcome Chris back. It is good to have him in the line-up and it is a boost to us. His presence on the field will be a massive plus for us. He is a key member of our team,” Sammy said.
The pitch has been the centre of attraction in Chennai. With the last game between England and South Africa played on a supposedly under-prepared wicket, a lot of questions were raised about the nature of the pitch. When asked if there was any specific tactics in place for the England team, the skipper said Ottis Gibson’s previous role (as Bolwing Coach) with England would be very helpful.
“Having Ottis is a big plus. He has been with the England side for close to two years, so it would be a tremendous boost to get some fine inputs from him. Obviously it would be a massive thing for us as cricketers and for people in the Caribbean if we manage to win on Thursday. We came here as underdogs and as a team we have managed to stay focused. We have taken it one game at a time, and so far it has worked for us,” Sammy added.
“With Pollard, it is about optimizing his potential. He has taken responsibility of batting towards the death and it’s paid off for the team.”