ST JOHN’S, Antigua, (CMC) – WITH just four days remaining before the West Indies face Sri Lanka in the opening One Day International (ODI) at Sabina Park, captain Shai Hope said paying attention to detail will be critical if they want to win the series.
The two teams clash in the first of three ODIs on Wednesday, with the home side eager to continue its dominance having not lost an ODI series at home since 2023.
The Windies are currently in a high-performance training camp, and, according to Hope, are using the time to focus on what they need to do to become an “elite team”.
“It has been a very fruitful camp. Everyone has been training with a very strong purpose and what I like about the camp so far is that we’re paying much closer detail to what we’re trying to achieve. I think when you’re trying to get the best out of yourself and you’re trying to be an elite team that’s what you need to do.
“Preparation has been going really nicely and I think the guys are growing in confidence and it’s just about growing and building from there,” Hope said.
The white-ball skipper said while he expected a strong challenge from the sixth ranked ODI side in the world, he maintained that playing at home coupled with the crucial points on offer ahead of next year’s ODI World Cup would be a major driving force for the West Indies.
“One thing we’ve done really good as a group is that we’ve defended home court very nicely. The consistency that we’ve shown at home and understanding our conditions really have been going a long way for us.
“Sri Lanka is a team that’s very strong, so that attention to detail that we need to pay goes a long way in terms of the preparation and understanding what they are trying to throw at us, finding ways to score as batters, limiting that dot ball percentage and as bowlers trying to find ways to keep picking up wickets…” Hope explained.
“So just understanding that we have a lot to play for as well, especially with the points up for grabs.”