Bridgetown, Barbados – West Indies Head Coach Ottis Gibson believes his team can match England when the two sides meet in the upcoming two-match T20 Series. The Windies departed from Barbados today after an intense week-long preparatory camp at the Sagicor High Performance Centre.
Speaking ahead of the squad’s departure for London, Gibson noted that the tour will provide several new players with a chance to get exposure on the international stage. He added that the team includes some very good young players who have the desire to do well.
“We have worked very hard during the one-week we had here and things went really well. England are the T20 World champions and have been playing some very good cricket and have some new players in their system. We also have some new players in our unit so it will be great to see how the two team play against each other. I have the belief we will do very well and all the players are clear in their minds what we want to accomplish as a team,” Gibson told journalists at the Grantley Adams International Airport.
Gibson, a former West Indies allrounder, added that this tour signalled the start of the one-year countdown to the ICC T20 World Championship, which is slated for September 2012 in Sri Lanka.
“It is a year to go before the World T20 Championship and we have these two matches as well as a few more to come. The policy of the selectors has been to expose players. With the Trinidad and Tobago team away at the Champions League it has given an opportunity for more players to get a look-in and I hope they make the most of this chance to perform on the international stage,” Gibson explained.
The Head Coach highlighted several areas his players will have to focus on when they reach London. Two major factors are the end-of-summer weather and the atmosphere at the matches.
“We had meetings where we spoke about what we can expect while in England. This will be the first time playing in England for some of the players so we plan to hit the ground running. We have prepared well and now it’s up to the players to take the opportunity and make the most of it,” Gibson said.
The two matches will be played at the Kia Oval in London on Friday, September 23 and Sunday, September 25.
West Indies Twenty20 Squad v England: Darren Sammy (Captain), Christopher Barnwell, Miles Bascombe, Devendra Bishoo, Nkrumah Bonner, Johnson Charles, Derwin Christian (Wicketkeeper), Fidel Edwards, Danza Hyatt, Garey Mathurin, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Krishmar Santokie, Dwayne Smith.
Team Management Unit: Ottis Gibson (Head Coach), Richie Richardson (Team Manager), Henderson Springer (Assistant Coach), Desmond Haynes (Batting Consultant), C.J Clark (Physiotherapist), Hector Martinez Charles (Strength and Conditioning Co-ordinator), Richard Berridge (Video and Statistical Analyst), Philip Spooner (Media Manager), Virgil Browne (Massage Therapist).
gipsin need to go ok if he is such a good coach why he can’t bring the best player togather.
WI not tired of letting England take them for idiots? the entire summer in England has gone, the cricketers are going to feild with hands in pocket, like the world cup a few yrs ago.
If you pick a world twenty/20 team Mr chris gayle will be opening the batting, bowlers around the world scared of him so why is he not on the team?
Sammy cant bat/bowl/talk properly,WI cricket is at it’s worst, kenya will beat them easy, it is a complete waste of time going to England for two reasons….weather and the team is CRAP….
Gibson must be a comedian. Hasn’t he looked at the standings lately? I understand his need to motivate his troops, but seriously, W.I is no match for England.
Sammy is captain because he like, Julian Hunte, the Chairman of selectors both are Saint Lucian. I am of Lucian descent and condemn this patronage. Chris Gayle (he came late into Indian Premier League tournament missing at least 6-7 games and still was the highest run maker); and Pollard himself shone in the IPL early this summer. Sammy is out of his depth and league-big time.
Let us go and watch Fire in Babylon: the most successful team ever in the history of cricket were the West Indies led my Clive Lloyd. That was a leader, not Sammy!!!
Take heed and adopt this and dispel mediocrity.
boss since rechards sammy is the best captain. look at ur stats
All the best Windies and coach Gibson. Keep up the recent reforms in West Indies cricket. Mediocrity, players who think they are bigger than the game and cricketers whose loyalty first is to money must be done away with from West Indies cricket.
A certain percentage of Caribbean people are basically double minded and unstable. They have been calling for Gayle and some other seniors to be dropped for years; now some of them are dropped, they bawling that is the WICB that don’t like these players when it is increasingly becoming clearer that these cricketers allegiance is to the highest bidder. Away with dem man and let’s build a team of committed and determined guys.
Sammy is captain because he like, Julian Hunte, the Chairman of selectors both are Saint Lucian. I am of Lucian descent and condemn this patronage. Chris Gayle (he came late into Indian Premier League tournament missing at least 6-7 games and still was the highest run maker); and Pollard himself shone in the IPL early this summer. Sammy is out of his depth and league-big time.
Let us go and watch Fire in Babylon: the most successful team ever in the history of cricket were the West Indies led my Clive Lloyd. That was a leader, not Sammy!!!
Take heed and adopt this and dispel mediocrity.
People like mighty holding should be a selecter on west indies team
Match england with what?
gibson loser…
gibson fall out gracefully…
You sir are talking thru your whatever, it is so sad that yu growm men can talk such sh**, you pick a set of young men, and you know they will not win, you men on that WICB are a buch of sick twisted bastards!
gibson is another one that need to be axed..crippling west indies cricket..where they get him nah..
we will come through just wait and u will see ok. the coach is doin all the hard work now. it s like clearing the forest now and then ploughin and then plantin . boss wait and u will see
I’d like to believe we can match almost any team one can name, but, with our saddening record, words of confidence no longer really matter….
Who did what to Gayle nah? Gayle is the one who came on KLAS radio in Jamaica and blast the coach saying ‘Gibson must go and learn to do his job, he will never sit down again and discuss team tactics with Gibson etc’.
Gayle wants to operate like a law on to himself. Is rebel he rebel….let mister go about his business and leave West Indies cricket alone.
What is he smoking?
now england reapin the fruits of his labour. he smoking wat he smoked when he coached the english team a year ago.
CIGARETTE..LOL