'Great opportunity for us': Daren Sammy on India ODI series
What's the story
West Indies cricket team head coach Daren Sammy has said that the upcoming ODI series against India is a "great opportunity" for his team. The three-match series will be played in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27, Guwahati on September 30, and New Chandigarh on October 3. Sammy said this is a chance to test themselves against the world's No. 1 team and end their long wait for success on Indian soil.
Series significance
Last won an ODI series in India 24 years ago
Sammy stressed the importance of playing India in their own backyard, saying it would give a clear picture of where his team stands in world cricket.
"Playing in India is always a great series to take part in. India being the number one team," he said.
He added that it's been 24 years since West Indies last won a series here, making this an ideal opportunity for them as a team to challenge themselves and measure their standing in ODIs globally.
Qualification progress
West Indies missed automatic qualification by 6 points
The West Indies have improved in the ODI qualification cycle but missed automatic qualification by six points. They will now participate in next year's qualifiers.
Sammy said they have come a long way from being far behind in the standings.
"Starting from where we were back then, which was, I think, 19 or 20 points behind and accumulating those points," he said while talking about their progress toward automatic qualification.
Player evaluation
Assessing players ahead of the qualifiers
The India series will also serve as a platform for West Indies to assess players ahead of the qualifiers.
Sammy stressed on giving players opportunities in different roles.
"Heading into the qualifiers in February, our number one focus is continuing to fine-tune the team so that when we go to the qualifiers, we put ourselves in a position to book our ticket to South Africa," he said.
Batting improvement
West Indies batting unit has improved, says Sammy
Sammy praised the progress made by the West Indies batting unit, with players like Shai Hope and Keacy Carty forming key partnerships.
"Our batting has come a long way during this period. Shai Hope is not the only one scoring hundreds," he said.
The coach also noted Alzarri Joseph's return after Antigua's CPL title-winning campaign and young players like Jewel Andrew getting opportunities in this series.