Windies captain calls for better execution against England
CASTRIES, St Lucia (CMC) — West Indies skipper Rovman Powell expressed his disappointment following the team’s recent struggles in the ongoing Twenty20 International (T20I) series against England, citing recurring issues with losing wickets in clusters and subpar fielding.
England took full advantage of another inept batting performance by the West Indies to claim a tense three-wicket victory in the third T20I, and claim an unassailable 3-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
Speaking after the latest game, Powell highlighted the importance of improving their execution in all aspects of the game as they prepare for the final two matches.
“I think it’s a bit disappointing; we keep losing wickets in clusters and in the power play. It’s a case of us being our natural selves.”
The Jamaican emphasised how early dismissals have hampered the team’s ability to build momentum. “The middle overs get difficult when you lose wickets, and what happens is that you can’t go hard in the middle overs when you lose wickets,” he explained.
While acknowledging that the bowling department showed improvement in the most recent outing, Powell called for greater consistency. “The execution by the bowlers wasn’t proper in the previous games, but tonight [Thursday], the execution was better.”
Fielding also came under scrutiny, with Powell urging the team to step up their efforts. “The guys have to take more catches. Fielding is a collective effort, and we need to get better as individuals.”
Despite the challenges Powell commended Akeal Hosein for his standout performance, with the left-arm spinner bagging four wickets in the losing cause.
For Hosein, the performance was pleasing but he would have liked for the end result to have been different.
“It is a bittersweet moment — as it is always good to get personal performances — but for me, if it is not helping the team get over the line, it is bittersweet.”
Looking ahead to Saturday’s fourth and penultimate match, Powell remains optimistic about getting things right.
“England is a good team. We have two good games of cricket remaining, and Saturday provides us an opportunity to turn things around.”
