News Americas, New York, NY, Fri. Aug. 23, 2024: West Indies head coach Daren Sammy is determined to transform the regional cricket team from a series-winning side into a championship-winning force ahead of the next T20 World Cup in 2026. As the white-ball head coach, Sammy has set his sights on achieving consistency and excellence, the Windies prepare for their upcoming three-match T20 series against South Africa, which begins today, August 23, 2024 at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad.
Despite the West Indies winning four of their last five T20 series, including a dominant 3-0 sweep over South Africa in May, the team was eliminated at the Super 8 stage of the recent T20 World Cup by the Proteas. Sammy, who led the West Indies to T20 World Cup titles in 2012 and 2016, emphasized the need for consistency and growth if the team aims to reclaim their championship status.
“We need to find ways to continuously evolve and improve. I want us to become a championship-winning team,” Sammy said. “Right now, we are a series-winning team. We play one team over a three or five-game period, and we know what to do, but I want this team to be able to play different opposition in a tournament and deliver every single game.”
Sammy stressed that while the long-term goal is to win championships, the immediate focus is on winning the upcoming series against South Africa. “I wouldn’t call it revenge, but it’s a great opportunity for us to regroup and refocus. Winning the series is our main goal, but we also want to fine-tune the areas where we need to improve to win tournaments,” he added.
The three-match T20 series against South Africa will run from August 23 to 27, 2024, in Trinidad. The West Indies squad for the series includes:
- Rovman Powell (Captain)
- Roston Chase (Vice-Captain)
- Alick Athanaze
- Johnson Charles
- Matthew Forde
- Shimron Hetmyer
- Fabian Allen
- Shai Hope
- Akeal Hosein
- Shamar Joseph
- Obed McCoy
- Gudakesh Motie
- Nicholas Pooran
- Sherfane Rutherford
- Romario Shepherd
With Sammy’s vision and leadership, the West Indies will be looking to build momentum, starting with the series against South Africa, as they set their sights on future championships.
