As the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Super 8 stage heats up, West Indies assistant coach Floyd Reifer struck a confident yet measured tone ahead of Thursday’s blockbuster against South Africa, insisting his unbeaten side has “no point to prove” to anyone but themselves.Both teams arrive at the Ahmedabad venue with perfect records, making this clash a potential semifinal eliminator.
The winner takes a giant stride toward the last four, while the loser faces a must-win scenario in their remaining group games.
History, however, favours the Proteas. While West Indies have won 15 and lost 14 of their 29 previous T20I meetings, South Africa have dominated on the World Cup stage, winning four of their five T20 World Cup encounters against the Caribbean side.
But Reifer isn’t buying into past narratives. “There’s no point to prove for us,” Reifer told reporters. “We came here like any other team to win the competition. A lot of people have us flying under the radar, but we plan every game to go in there with a positive mentality to win cricket games.”
The numbers certainly suggest the West Indies are peaking at the right time. Their campaign has been marked by complete team performances, something Reifer was quick to highlight.
“Our energy is great. The vibe is good within the team, everybody’s up for it. We came here to play good cricket, and that’s what we’ve been doing so far. We’ve been planning well, batting well, bowling well, and fielding well. You have to do all three of those departments well to win cricket games.”
The camaraderie within the squad has been a notable feature of their campaign, as one reporter highlighted that the West Indies always seem to find form when it comes to tournament play.
“The guys are enjoying playing with each other, enjoying each other’s company and enjoying each other’s success. That’s important,” added Reifer.
South Africa does hold one tangible advantage: familiarity with the venue, having played most of their games at the same Ahmedabad ground. But Reifer dismissed any concerns about external factors.
“Once we plan properly and execute our plans, we will play a good game of cricket. We’re not worried too much about venues and who plays there, who does not. For us, it’s just coming out, understanding what needs to be done and executing.”
With both sides packed with match-winners, Reifer expects the contest to be decided by fine margins.
“All the teams are balanced. You come to a World Cup, and each team has quality players. On the day, it’s the team that wants it the most and which team executes their plans under pressure. They have a balanced team. We have a balanced team as well. It’s just a matter of the day and which team executes their plans to the best of their abilities.”
The modern game’s evolution has been impossible to ignore, with scores of 230-plus becoming increasingly common. Reifer stressed that clarity of roles would be crucial in navigating the high-stakes encounter.
“The game has evolved. Teams are getting to 230-plus, so it’s just a matter of guys understanding their roles. Each person has a different role to play. There are different phases in the game: you have the power play, the phase after the power play, then 11 to 15, 16 to 20. So each person has a role to play in each phase. It’s just for guys to go out there and execute their role in the different phases.”
For West Indies, Thursday represents an opportunity to silence their doubters and edge closer to a semifinal berth. And if Reifer’s calm confidence is anything to go by, the Caribbean side believes their best cricket is still to come.
(CMC)
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