CHATTOGRAM, Bangladesh,  (CMC) – West Indies captain Shai Hope has called for ruthless execution from his bowlers and a fusion of power and smart cricket from his batters as his team looks to overturn a disappointing ODI series defeat and break a dismal streak in the T20 format against Bangladesh.

The first of three T20 Internationals bowls off at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium here today, with the Caribbean side desperate for a fresh start.

The memories of a 2-1 ODI series loss, where spin dominated, are still fresh. Compounding the pressure, the West Indies are lugging the weight of having lost their last seven bilateral T20I series, a run stretching back to October of last year.

This includes a 3-0 whitewash at the hands of these same Bangladeshi opponents just five months ago.

At the pre-match press conference, Hope acknowledged the challenges of the previous series but was keen to focus on the present.

He expressed optimism about the Chattogram pitch, suggesting it offers a different proposition from the spin-friendly track in Dhaka, where spinner Rishad Hossain “exploited those conditions” and “made it challenging for all of our batters.”

“New series, new surface, same goals,” Hope stated. “We just gotta learn from the mistakes that we would’ve had in the ODI series. I don’t think the surface will play similarly, but again, if it does, we still have some of those learnings.”

The skipper pinpointed bowling consistency as the critical area for improvement. “We plan a lot, but if the execution isn’t there, then the plans basically go out the window. It’s just about being more ruthless with our lines and lengths and making it more challenging for the opposition batters.”

When confronted with the team’s poor recent record, Hope delivered a defiant response, urging his team to draw on the entirety of West Indies history, not just the recent struggles.

“Anytime you cross the line, you gotta believe that you can win. Let’s leave that in the past, because if we continue bringing up the past with certain things, then we would be defending champions, because we won the first two World Cups.

 So it’s about learning from the past, and making sure that when you cross that line for West Indies, regardless of what’s happening, you gotta believe that you can beat any opposition.”

Hope identified his team’s batting depth and “elite standard” of power-hitting as a key strength, but cautioned that big names on paper must translate into performances on the field.

He also outlined the need for a more nuanced batting approach, blending their traditional six-hitting prowess with the intelligent running exemplified by Bangladesh.

“They’re a very busy team,” Hope said of the hosts. “If you can mesh the two by running between the wickets and pushing those good balls and making ones into twos, I think we’re gonna be the same. You have to evolve with the cricket.”