'It accurately reflects where our cricket stands' - Daren Sammy after West Indies' embarrassing defeat against Netherlands
Daren Sammy accepts the hard reality as West Indies World Cup dreams are fading following a painful setback and a difficult battle.
Daren Sammy, the West Indies' white-ball head coach, spoke on the team's tight loss to the Netherlands in the ongoing World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe. Despite scoring 374 runs in the first innings, the Shai Hope-led team fell short in the Super Over.
This defeat has affected the West Indies' chances of qualifying for the World Cup in India, especially in light of their recent loss to Zimbabwe. With the super six format factoring in group stage points, the Men in Maroon face an uphill climb and must rely on a sequence of favorable outcomes outside of their own performances.
Sammy acknowledged the poor quality of cricket during the post-match press conference, saying, "Sometimes you have to reach rock bottom to climb back up. I am aware of the obstacles that lay ahead, as well as the fact that change will not occur quickly. It accurately reflects where our cricket stands."
Even if the West Indies win all of their Super Six matches against Oman, Scotland, and the high-flying Sri Lanka, their qualifying is still dependent on other scenarios. Their poor bowling performance, however, proved to be their undoing, stretching into the Super Over. Failure to qualify for the Super 12s of the 2022 T20 World Cup, and failing to qualify for the 50-over World Cup would be yet another bitter chapter in West Indies cricket history.
Shai Hope expresses disappointment as West Indies suffer a shocking defeat to the Netherlands
In the post-match presentation, skipper Shai Hope said, "We let ourselves down." It's difficult to imagine scoring 375 and losing. I had faith in our bowlers to complete the task. Unfortunately, we fell short. The truth is staring us in the face right now: we need to improve."
To add to their already difficult condition, the West Indies cricket team will face another difficult test as they prepare for a grueling home series against India directly following the Qualifiers. Beginning on July 12, these two sides will compete in a series of two Test matches, three One Day Internationals (ODIs), and five Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is).
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