West Indies captain Shai Hope acknowledged that South Africa could hold an advantage in Ahmedabad, where they have been based for large parts of the ongoing T20 World Cup, but said his side would back themselves to adapt quickly when the teams meet in their next Super 8 clash on Thursday.
South Africa have played most of their games at the Narendra Modi Stadium, something Hope admitted can help teams become more familiar with conditions over a short tournament.
“It’s certainly a factor,” Hope said at the post-match presentation. “When you play in a venue for so many games in a short span, you would have an advantage. That’s reality. But it won’t deter us from what we’re trying to do. We’ll still play the same cricket and assess the conditions as quickly as we can.”
Hope pointed out that many players in the West Indies squad have previous experience playing in Ahmedabad through franchise tournaments and international matches, which should help them adjust.
“We’ve played there before, so it wouldn’t be completely alien to us. The key thing will be adapting quickly because they would be more familiar with the conditions,” he added.
West Indies head into the fixture with momentum after a commanding 107-run win over Zimbabwe, a performance Hope described as close to a complete game for his side.
West Indies players celebrate after their win against Zimbabwe during the T20 World Cup cricket match in Mumbai. (AP Photo)
“There’s always areas you can improve, but when you get 250-plus on the board in a T20 game, you must be happy as a batting unit,” Hope said. “And then with the ball being as clinical as we were, especially in the powerplay and middle phase, I would call it a complete game.”
A key feature of the innings was the continued success of Shimron Hetmyer at No. 3, a role Hope believes suits the left-hander’s range and ability to play in different match situations.
“He’s a quality player, and sometimes he was kind of wasted down the bottom in the innings,” Hope said. “He can bat in all situations, against spin and pace, and he’s been an asset for us in this tournament.”
Hope also praised spinner Gudakesh Motie, who returned to the side after spending some time away from the game working on his skills.
“Sometimes the time away gives you a chance to refresh and work on areas you want to improve,” Hope said. “He’s come back in a great space, and that has been important for us,” he added.
