West Indies scraped to a nervy five-wicket victory over Papua New Guinea in their opening Men’s T20 World Cup match on Sunday. While relieved to secure the two points, Head Coach Darren Sammy insists there’s significant room for improvement as the tournament progresses.
Chasing a modest 137 for victory, the Caribbean side endured a shaky chase, losing five wickets before ultimately securing the win. Sammy, reflecting on past World Cup disappointments, warned against complacency.
“These are the games that cost us in previous tournaments,” he remarked.
West Indies’ next challenge comes on June 8th against newcomers Uganda.
However, with tougher tests against Afghanistan and New Zealand looming, Sammy knows there’s no room for slip-ups.
“Every game is crucial,” he emphasized. “We need to focus on the present, one match at a time, and avoid complacency. We didn’t exhibit our usual aggressive batting style, the brand we’ve established over the past year. We allowed them to stay in the contest for too long.”
“Winning with just an over to spare is a bit too close for comfort,” Sammy admitted. “But I won’t let this overshadow the positive strides we’ve made throughout the year.”
The competition intensifies as the Windies head to Trinidad and Tobago, facing New Zealand on June 13th followed by Afghanistan on June 18th.
Only the top two teams from the group stage progress to the Super Eight stage.
West Indies will be eager to avoid a repeat of the last T20 World Cup, where they were knocked out in the first round.
