NEWS
Follow UsWest Indies captain Rovman Powell admitted that the batting unit failed to adjust to the conditions in Antigua and fell 15-20 runs short of what would have been an ideal target for South Africa in a must-win Super 8 clash on June 23 (Sunday). Asked to bat, the Men in Maroon could only score 135/8 in their 20 overs.
In the second innings, Andre Russell dismissed both South African openers in the second over before rain arrived in Antigua, reducing the innings to 17 overs. The revised target for the Proteas was 123. The West Indies fought hard but South Africa got the job done in the last over and confirmed their spot in the semi-finals of the 2024 T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, the hosts were knocked out.
“I think when you look at the larger picture, that is a disappointing World Cup - we wanted to win just like any other team, but we weren't able to win tonight. I think as a team we played some good cricket. We play good cricket in patches and tonight was a night our batters were 15-20 runs short and a difficult wicket,” said Powell after the three-wicket loss.
“It's just a case of the wicket not being an easy wicket to bat on, to be honest. It needed a little bit more grit and a little bit more determination. You should look at how both teams bat on it, even South Africa kind of struggled to get the 136 runs that we made. It wasn't the easiest off surface but as players, we have to adapt and come up with solutions.”
South Africa used 12 overs of spin in the first innings, while the West Indies bowled only seven. Gudakesh Motie was smashed for 20 runs in an over and Powell said it became difficult for spinners to hold the ball after the rain break.
“We knew it was always going to be a little bit difficult with a wet ball especially for us with three spinners but having said that I think the bowling group has to be commended. Only 130 on the board and I think they really fought for us.”
Talking about the defeat against England in their first Super 8 encounter, Powell said: “I think the defeat against England was very disappointing for us as players but it was also a wake-up call because we were playing consistently good cricket. It showed us that, hey in T20 cricket, anything is possible.”
The West Indies won all four of their encounters in the group stage and Powell wants his team to keep growing and start focusing on the next T20 World Cup, which will be played in India in 2026. “To take 12 months to move from number nine in the world to number three in the ICC rankings is an absolutely amazing jump,” said Powell.
“It's for us as a team to continue working. It's for us as a team to stay still close, close-knitted and it's for us as a team to just keep on building. As you say, in 24 months’ time, we have another shot at the World Cup. Hopefully guys here can continue playing and doing well in international cricket and franchise cricket. And when that time comes, we'll have the same core of players trying to win a World Cup for the Caribbean.
“It's always a case for me as a captain to continue to motivate guys to play for West Indies. The driving force of franchise cricket and the money that comes with franchise cricket make it always difficult for the West Indies. Hopefully, guys can always and will mainly choose to play for West Indies. There's a buzz around the region now in playing for West Indies so hopefully that continues, hopefully we continue on the right path.”
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