Sammy believes CPL experience will boost WI

DAMBULLA, Sri Lanka (CMC):

West Indies white-ball head coach Daren Sammy expects his troops to come out firing in the first T20I against Sri Lanka tomorrow, with the majority of players fresh from playing in the recently completed Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

The West Indies arrived in Sri Lanka earlier this week and will play three T20Is and three ODIs between October 10 and 27.

Sammy, who coached the St Lucia Kings to their first-ever CPL title, said he believed the fact that the West Indies were playing a series right after the tournament ended would work in their favour.

He, however, pointed out that ensuring his players were properly rested was also important if they were to perform at their peak.

“The good thing is we’re coming from our Caribbean Premier League, so most if not all of the guys have been playing cricket, which is a plus when you have a series that comes close after a tournament. So us travelling here to Sri Lanka, the most important thing is the recovery of the guys,” Sammy said during an interview.

“We will have a couple days to do that and a training session before our first game on Sunday, but looking from what transpired in the CPL, the guys are ready to take on a really strong Sri Lanka team.

“I have full confidence from what I have seen and what I saw in the CPL. Their skill set, the temperament they have shown already, that’s why they are here with us and I’m looking forward to see what they can do on the international stage,” he added.

The West Indies have been in dominant form in the shorter format of the game, winning five of their last six T20I series, including a recent 3-0 whitewash of South Africa in August.

And while Sammy said he would be focused on winning the series, he explained that, with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup less than two years away, he would also be looking for some of the younger players to step up.

“If you notice, we are trying the depth of our squad. We’ve given some guys some opportunities with the World Cup coming up in less than 20 months.

“Some of our senior players being unavailable, I’m looking to see how far or how great our depth can be. Obviously, the main purpose is to win the series, we’ve been doing well so far and giving guys opportunities to build and develop,” Sammy said.

“I’m really excited. Sri Lanka are a young team and, since Jayasuriya took over, there’s been a new energy and confidence in that team. So it would be a good series for us and a good test to see where we are with the depth that we have in the Caribbean.”