Windies begin Cup bid
PROVIDENCE, Guyana (CMC) — Hosts West Indies are favoured to kick off their Twenty20 World Cup campaign in grand style, when they face Ireland in the second match of the competition today at the Guyana National Stadium.
A depleted West Indies side — led by Darren Sammy — dominated the Irish during a series of T20 Internationals in the Jamaica Cricket Festival earlier this month.
Back to full strength with Chris Gayle returning to the helm, all-rounder Dwayne Bravo to bring his energy and enthusiasm, and compatriot Kieron Pollard to add his big-hitting, West Indies are expected to make light work of the Irish.
West Indies batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan will be playing before his home crowd, and he believes the home team can make home advantage count.
“We have a very good chance of winning this competition,” he said. “We are at home, and this gives us an advantage.
“What is important is that we play as a team, and try and support each other as much as we can, whether it’s in the field, or when we are batting or bowling. We hope we can do it on a consistent basis.”
Ireland have been in the Caribbean longer than any of the visiting teams, but they have won just one of six tour games, lost a One-Day International to West Indies, and were defeated in both of their two warm-up matches. But they have a knack for giant-killing acts.
In the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean, they knocked Pakistan out of the competition, and in last year’s T20 World Cup, they stung Bangladesh.
“I think it’s easier to pull off a shock in Twenty20 because recovery time is less than in 50 overs,” said Ireland coach Phil Simmons, the former Trinidad & Tobago captain and West Indies opener.
“We have played that little bit more Twenty20 than we had going into the last World Cup, so we are slightly wiser about Twenty20 cricket. That has to be a good thing.”
The West Indies-Ireland contest is the main event of a double-header, which sees last year’s runners-up Sri Lanka tackling New Zealand in the opening match, after what promises to be a sizzling 45-minute opening ceremony.
Scattered thunderstorms are forecast, but the Guyana National Stadium is reputed to be one of the fastest drying grounds in the Caribbean, so play should be possible once proper care is taken in securing the square.
