West Indies coach Ottis Gibson said he was optimistic of his side’s chances in the World Twenty20 Tournament taking place this month in Sri Lanka.
Gibson said the composition of the team struck the right balance between experience and talent, and he expected West Indies to live up to his long-held belief that they had the potential to win the World T20 title.
“The players have done very well at the camp and looking at the composition of the team. . .we have a good combination, a good mix of experience and young players. . .and we feel we have a real good chance of doing very well in this tournament,” said Gibson prior to the team’s departure on Sunday.
Gibson noted that players like Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Sunil Narine have done very well in the T20 format.
“They have been stars of the Indian Premier League, and have in-depth knowledge of this format,” he said.
“The captain, Darren Sammy, is in great form, so too Andre Russell and Fidel Edwards, and there are others that can step up.”
The World T20 features 12 teams and will be played from September 18 to October 7.
West Indies have been drawn in Group B along with Australia and Ireland – and both first round matches will be played at the Premadasa Stadium in Sri Lanka capital of Colombo.
Gibson said it was hard to predict which sides were the biggest threat in the competition and it was important that West Indies focus on the things within their control.
“On the day, if everybody executes well, anybody can win a match,” he said. “We have seen it before. . .In this format, anything is possible.
“It is important that you are on top of your game on the day, on top of your plans, and people stick to their skills, and always doing the basics.
“This game still revolves around string basics, so it is important for our guys to be looking after those basics all the time.”
West Indies open the tournament against the Aussies on Saturday, September 22 followed by a clash with the Irish on Monday, September 24.
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