… credits maturity, fitness as part of new approach to game

By Clifton Ross

A MATURE Andre Fletcher said he’s elated to be back in West Indies colours and is keen on playing his best cricket when the T20 series versus New Zealand bowls off in a few weeks.

After passing their initial rounds of COVID-19 tests, the Caribbean boys were given the green light to commence their training and practice ahead of the 3-match T20 and 2-match Test series.

On Wednesday, the players engaged in their first outdoor session after being housed in Christchurch at the Chateau. Head coach Phil Simmons and his men conducted their training session at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval.

Speaking virtually to the media, Fletcher said he was more than happy to be back in the international fold. “It’s a great feeling, it’s always a pleasure playing for the West Indies and representing the Caribbean on a whole. It’s a great opportunity once again so I just have to make sure I grasp that opportunity and make the best of it,” says the opener.

With six 50-plus scores and a career-best of 84 not out, Fletcher has carved a good T20 career for himself and when in form has been up there with the best ball-hitters in the game.

Admitting that his game is far different from the ultra-aggressive, flashy type fans were used to back in his earlier days, now 32 and sporting a new look with dreads, Fletcher credited maturity and more emphasis on his fitness as the formula fot his return to form this year.

“I’ve become a more positive player, my shot selection has improved a lot and I’ve been working hard on the physical aspect, putting in a lot of strength work behind the scenes. It paid off a lot in the CPL so hopefully I can carry it onto the international level and see what I can do best for the Caribbean people,” said a fired-up Fletcher.

A former World Cup T20 winner under Darren Sammy back in 2016, the St Lucian said that winning this series on Kiwi soil will be a major accolade for himself and team, who have never achieved such a feat in the past.

“This is my third time in New Zealand and we haven’t won a T20 series in New Zealand. So the team goal is to try and win this series and my individual goal is to try and get as many runs as possible where I can seal my spot in the T20 squad”.

While a lot has changed over the years since 2016, player, coaching and management-wise; the veteran batsman admitted he’s seeing a lot of similarities between his championship 2016 team and this current bunch of upcoming stars.

“I remember very well in 2016 when we won the World Cup, we were supporting each other and enjoying each other’s success. We had fun, the management staff was also behind us and so far I’ve seen that in this team, everyone is enjoying himself and having lots of fun”.

Concluding his interview, Fletcher believed that the team were overall in high spirits and were adamant that once they stay on the same page and channel their off-field chemistry on the field, then they should have a successful T20 series.

“It’s very important especially around this time that we make sure everyone is comfortable because that’s when you get the best out of everyone. So I hope we can bring that onto the field of play, execute our plans as well as possible and for sure we will have a good tournament,” he concluded.