West Indies captain Shai Hope shared that the team has been powered by the impact that the late Sir Garfield Sobers left behind as they look to ensure qualification for next year’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Earlier this week, Sir Sobers passed away at the age of 89. He represented the Windies from 1954 to 1974.
“It was a sad one. It’s something that…he (Sobers) has shown what West Indies cricket really means,” Hope said.
“He’s one of the first legends of the game, really set and paved the way for us all. So I think tomorrow should be a big inspiration for us, a big confidence-booster for us.
“Not saying that we’re looking at the death only to raise us, but we need to play this one for the great man, and hopefully we can get the results that we really want in his honour as well.”
The Windies are trailing 2-1 in the five-match ODI series against New Zealand, and are ranked 8th in the ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings.
“It’s very important. I’ve been mentioning for the last few series now, every single game is very important, especially for what’s at stake.
A lookback at Sir Garfield Sobers historic feat
“We’ve got a big qualification period, so I think these games hold a lot more weight, probably a bit more than the others.
“But we’ve still got to play each game as it comes. We’ve got to ensure that we’re following all of our processes and executing when the time comes, because as you name a game, tomorrow especially, being able to execute under pressure and in those crucial moments (is crucial).”
The next year’s Men’s Cricket World Cup will see the return of 14 teams to the big tournament in a revamped format.
The Windies, who missed out on the previous edition of the competition in 2023, will be looking for favourable results to ensure direct qualification for the marquee tournament.
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