RECENT Twenty20 (T20) series losses to Afghanistan and South Africa, as well as another defeat by the former earlier this week, means the build-up is far from ideal. Yet, the West Indies must put it all together as they face Scotland in their opening game of the ICC T20 Cricket World Cup in India very early Saturday morning.

Lest we forget, Scotland are only here because of controversies that led to Bangladesh’s exclusion, after the ICC refused its request for its first-round matches to be switched from India to co-hosts Sri Lanka.

The Bangladesh Government had pointed to what it said were security issues in India. Pakistan has since forfeited its mega, cash-laden clash with India, in solidarity with Bangladesh.

That aside, recent history suggests that Scotland are more than worthy opponents. Readers may recall that at the 2022 T20 World Cup the unfancied Scots stunned 2012 and 2016 champions West Indies by 42 runs in Hobart, Australia. And in 2023, Scotland humbled West Indies by a seven-wicket margin in an ICC One-Day International World Cup qualifier in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Unsurprisingly, such results have raised serious questions about the ability of the Caribbean men to put it altogether when it matters most, despite possessing a number of the globe’s leading white-ball stars.

Let’s make no mistake, players such as Messrs Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, the latter’s predecessor Captain Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder, and Akeal Hosein are among the world’s most-sought-after T20 professionals. Star quality is beyond dispute, notwithstanding the glaring absence of Mr Nicholas Pooran who chose to retire from international cricket last year despite still being on the right side of 30.

A pre-match comment attributed to West Indies all-format Coach Mr Daren Sammy seems very apt: “The realistic point is, we can win the World Cup… The challenge, though, will be for us to put all this talent together…”

Much of the responsibility for putting it all “together” will rest on Mr Sammy’s broad shoulders. Can he so motivate his players that they will feel free to express their talent on the cricket field without fear of failure, which, in our view, has been a major drawback for West Indies in recent years?

What’s not in doubt is that Mr Sammy’s position will come under intense scrutiny should West Indies fail to advance from their first-round group which, in addition to Scotland, includes England, Nepal and Italy.

An undoubted plus for Mr Sammy are the good memories from 2016, also in India, when he as captain led the Caribbean men, for the second time, to the T20 World Cup title. Indeed, Eden Gardens, Kolkata — the iconic venue for this morning’s meeting with Scotland — hosted that 2016 final.

Who among Caribbean cricket fans will ever forget Mr Carlos Brathwaite’s sensational final over 6, 6, 6, 6 which carried West Indies over the line?

To underline the teamwork and unrelenting determination which marked that triumphant 2016 campaign, the strong-minded Man of the Match and backbone of that run chase, Mr Marlon Samuels, was unbeaten on 85 at the end.

As we begin the 2026 T20 World Cup campaign, Coach Sammy, his West Indies squad, and the entire Caribbean cricket fraternity are itching to turn back the clock.