Captain Brathwaite backs his team to win the last match
West Indies skipper feels that a victory in Abu Dhabi is important for one-day series
West Indies team preferred to train at the ICC Academy in Dubai. Skipper Carlos Brathwaite refused to be affected by the series defeat and wants to go for a win at the Abu Dhabi Zayed Cricket Stadium.
“I haven’t lost confidence in anyone as a team. We haven’t been as good as we wanted to be and as players. We have to go about and find ways to correct the mistakes.”
Answering to a query from Gulf News as to whether a win in the last match is important for the team psychologically, Brathwaite said: “We told before the start of the series that every game we want to go on to win. Psychologically going into the longer 50-over format a victory in the third T20 can do a lot of good. We plan to go out and do the things we know to do and do it better than we did in the first two games. We are more than confident we will go over to win.”
When asked where did his team go wrong in the first two matches, Brathwaite said: “One glaring problem was our top order batting. We have not been making most of the first six overs and then it became harder and harder. In the very first game we were five wickets down for 22 runs.
Learning curve
Then in the second, chasing 160 runs we could score only 20-odd runs after the first six overs which became lot more difficult, especially with such huge boundaries. So our batting and the misuse of the first six overs were our downfall in the first two games.”
Brathwaite even candidly admitted that he is learning a lot as captain. “For me as captain it is team performance, then personal performance comes next. So I am not really judging myself and thinking because I want to win series and make the West Indies fans happy. Until now, we haven’t but I want our fans to continue to enjoy T20 cricket. Till now we haven’t so it is up to me to motivate the guys going into tomorrow’s game and so we can bring back the smiles on the faces of our fans.”
Brathwaite admitted that the heat has been too much but does not want it as an excuse. “The heat won’t change probably it will be hotter as we go into the 50-over as we start early and then Test cricket which will see longer days. The heat is a factor but I don’t think it had any bearing on them getting on to 160 and not restricting them to 140 or 150.”
Brathwaite also said there might be a few changes in the team for the third match. “Maybe there will be changes letting one or two guys experience playing for the West Indies.”
Brathwaite then went on to hail his strike bowler Samuel Badree. “Simplicity is his strong point, he keeps it simple, he knows his strengths. Badree is No. 1 bowler in the world and you can see in whatever conditions he comes out triumphs and we are looking forward for another good performance from him.”
He defended Andre Fletcher’s poor batting. “It’s not correct to single out Fletcher. He has done very well in the recent past.”