Captain Shai Hope believes clarity of roles and collective understanding within the dressing room have been the driving forces behind West Indies’ clinical march into the Super Eights of the T20 World Cup, as the two-time champions continue to rediscover their edge on the global stage.
With four wins from four in the group stage, the West Indies have topped Group C and also showcased a template that contrasts with the stereotype of reckless Caribbean aggression. Instead of an all-out assault from ball one, they have built innings patiently, preserved wickets through the middle overs, and then unleashed calculated power in the closing stages – a method underpinned by clearly defined responsibilities.
“Clarity is the biggest thing, especially in a tournament as big as this,” Hope said after their comprehensive 42-run win over Italy in their final Group C fixture at Eden Gardens.
West Indies vs Italy, T20 World Cup: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
The venue holds special significance for West Indies, who lifted their last T20 World Cup title there a decade ago before enduring a prolonged slump. Now, with renewed structure and belief, they move into the Super Eights where Zimbabwe, South Africa and India await.
“When you come into a World Cup, you don’t want to be playing catch-up, especially when you’ve got to basically hit the ground running, especially when you’re playing against some of the better teams in the world,” Hope said.
DEFINED ROLES, TAILORED PREPARATION
For Hope, the shift in West Indies’ approach is not rooted in drastic tactical change but in sharper definition of individual roles.
“I wouldn’t say it’s changed much. It’s more so about the role that I’m given and how we want to play cricket as a West Indian team,” he explained.
“But I just feel now it’s more so a bit more clarity in terms of the role and the way we want to go about playing our cricket.”
That clarity has filtered into his personal preparation as well.
“If you want to play a particular role or a particular way, then everything has to shift. So I’ve just tailored my training sessions and planning towards that.”
One of the most notable tactical adjustments has been the promotion of Shimron Hetmyer to No. 3 – a move away from his traditional finisher’s slot. The left-hander responded with scores of 64, 23 and 46 not out in his first three matches before managing just one against Italy. The shift has given West Indies early stability and allowed their power hitters to operate with greater freedom later in the innings.
Hope stressed that in a tournament of this nature, clearly defined roles are not a luxury but a necessity.
“It’s not like a bilateral series where you have a couple of losses and win the series 3-2. So clarity was one of the biggest things that we focused on in preparation and making sure every single player, whether the 11 on the day or even the ones on the bench, we’re trying to make sure we have a player fit for each role that we need to execute in the middle.”
NO COMPLACENCY DESPITE PERFECT START
Despite their flawless group-stage record, Hope was quick to dismiss any notion of complacency.
“We’ve got to make sure we are playing our best cricket, regardless of the opposition that we’re playing against. We saw the threat that Italy posed in the competition, so there were no stones left unturned once again today.”
He added that continuous improvement remains central to their mindset.
“There’s always some area that you can improve in every single game. We just can’t look too far ahead. We’ve got to ensure that we focus on what’s in front of us, not necessarily harping on too much on the areas that we fell short in.”
The skipper also highlighted the importance of collective responsibility across a demanding campaign.
“In any sport, everyone’s not going to fire every single day. So especially in team sport, the important thing is when one of your teammates are down, the other guys, you’ve got to ensure we pull them up, pull some slack for them. That’s the way a whole tournament play works,” he said.
SUPER EIGHTS CHALLENGE AWAITS
West Indies will open their Super Eights campaign against Zimbabwe in Mumbai, a side that stunned Australia to seal qualification. The match will be played at the Wankhede Stadium, where West Indies have already featured earlier in the tournament.
Hope insisted that while preparation will be tailored to the opposition, the team’s core approach will remain unchanged.
“Not really. Just in terms of the planning stages, we’ve got to plan for whoever’s in front of us. If it was Namibia, if it was whoever, we’ve got to ensure that what we’re doing is necessary to be ready for the opposition.”
Having already experienced conditions at the Wankhede, he believes familiarity could offer a subtle advantage.
“Having the experience of playing in Wankhede would give us a bit more confidence as a team to know what works more so than what doesn’t. But again, cricket plays only there,” he signed off.
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