WEST Indies skipper Darren Sammy was high in praise for his team at the post-match interview, following their massive 10-wicket victory over Pakistan in the fifth and final limited overs match at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, yesterday.
According to the St Lucian, yesterday’s win which he says came through total team effort, can be seen as a morale-boosting one heading into the Test series which gets under way next Thursday at the same venue.
“We played as a team. We went out there and bowled them out cheaply and the batsmen went out there and got the runs and I think that was a total team effort. We have been stressing for us to play together as a team and we knew once we did that, we would get the results that we want and that happened today,” said Sammy.
Openers Lendl Summons (77*) and Kirk Edwards (40*) featured in a record-breaking first-wicket partnership worth 140 runs to steer the Windies, who lost the first three matches to the Pakistanis, past their opponents’ score of 139 all out made in 41.2 overs.
The 27-year-old Sammy added, “The win certainly gives the team confidence going into the Test match, where we should have some new players coming in. We welcome them and we will continue the work we have been doing in the nets, with the batsmen working with the batting analyst Desmond Haynes, and the coach Ottis Gibson, who has been doing some good work over the past few weeks.
We hope to take that momentum from the one-day series into the Test team; so certainly this win today will serve as a morale-booster for us heading into the Test match.”
Asked to comment on the pitch that was used for the match, which saw Pakistan having at times to avoid balls that flew off a good length and be defensive to some that kept low, the Windies skipper said it was of great help to his pacers.
“The pacers got nine of the wickets to fall today and I think that once we bowl the way we practise in the nets, along with the backings of young Devendra Bishoo, then we can be a force to be reckoned with in the Test match beginning here next Thursday.”
On the eve of the match, Sammy said he was one match away from a good performance and when quizzed on whether yesterday’s performance with the ball, where he bowled unchanged to pick up 3-30 from his 10 overs was that match, Sammy said he always gives of his best when he plays the game.
“Whenever I turn up to play a game of cricket, I always give it my best shot. If it happens that on the day of the match I perform, then that would be great not only for me, but the team I am representing, since a good performance is what is always needed.
Today (yesterday) I did what I had to do, not only me, but all the bowlers were called upon to bowl and we believed in them and that is what was important, with regard to the team’s goals and that was achieved today,” stated Sammy.
Right-arm leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo ended as the highest wicket-taker for the home team, taking 15 wickets in the lone Twenty20 and the five limited overs international. Sammy lauded the Guyanese for the work ethics that he displayed from the time he joined the team for the ICC World Cup.
“Bishoo is a young aspiring cricketer for us. He said in an interview he wishes to be a great West Indian cricketer and to my mind, he has the making to be a great player,” said Sammy.
He continued, “From the time he came into the team during the ICC World Cup in India, he showed that he belonged and can perform at international level, doing so very consistently. I urge him to continue doing so, remain the cool and humble guy that he is and I wish him all the best in the future.”
Both Simmons and Edwards recorded their highest score in this form of the game for the West Indies, with Simmons being named the man-of-the-match, while Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez was declared the man-of-the-series for the limited overs.
Pakistan will play a two-day practice match against a Ramnaresh Sarwan-led Guyana President’s XI beginning on Sunday at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground.