-Gibson’s professional team culture credited for improvements
Chittagong, Bangladesh – West Indies will not be easing up against Bangladesh in the third and final One-Day International on Tuesday. Captain Darren Sammy said his side will again look to be ruthless as they seek a third consecutive win and a 3-0 clean sweep in the series.
First ball at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium is 1.30 pm (3.30 am Eastern Caribbean Team/2.30 am Jamaica Time).
"We still have a job to do. This is a crucial match in the overall long-term plan of the team as we look at what we want to achieve. We win the series 3-0 and we get four ranking points so this is a very important match. It’s not about revenge from the 0-3 result when they beat us two years ago. We are going out there to put up a professional display. We win the series 2-1, we get no points," Sammy said.
"We have completed the series win but we want to continue doing the good things we have been doing and look for another victory. As a team we have overall goals and we always aim to play total team cricket. We put in a very professional display in the One-Day series and we want to continue that."
The Windies won the opening match by 40 runs after making 298-4 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. They had an easy victory by eight wickets in the second match at the same venue, making 221-2 after bowling out the home side for 220. Before the series started, Sammy outlined the team’s plan to be in the Top 5 of the International Cricket Council’s ODI rankings by 2015.
"There is a good atmosphere in the dressing room. Our batsmen are scoring runs and looking confident. Our bowlers have done well for us all year and continue to do well. In all departments there is always room for improvement and players have been talking about how they can get better and improve their skills, so it is clear everyone is focussed on moving forward."
Sammy was full of praise for opener Lendl Simmons, who won the Man-of-the-Match prize in the opening match and allrounder Marlon Samuels, who took the award in the second match. Simmons made 122 in the opening match – his maiden international century – and followed up with 81 in the second match. Samuels has made scores of 71 and 88 not out and has also been effective with his off-spin bowling. The pair added 150 in the first match and 111 in the second.
"Before he had a two-year break from international cricket Marlon was playing very well for us and now he’s back he has is showing his class and desire for success. He’s a natural strokemaker. It took a few games for him to get back into his own but we can see the kind of player he is. The work he has put in for somebody who has been out from cricket for two years is tremendous," Sammy said of the 30-year-old.
"Simmons has matured and is playing really well for us. He has the ability to get us off to a flying start and he’s the kind of player who backs himself and that confidence rubs off on others. Playing first-class cricket and Champions League has given him exposure and he is showing what he can do.
"So far our fast bowlers have taken the wickets. So far we’ve been batting well and we lost only six wickets in two One-Dayers. It hasn’t happened in a long time. Credit to the guys for all the hard work they have put in. The coach has incorporated a professional culture in the team and everyone is buying into it."
Upcoming matches
October 18: 3rd ODI at Chittagong
October 21-25: 1st Test at Chittagong
October 29-November 3: 2nd Test at Dhaka
Venues:
Dhaka – She-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka
Chittagong – Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong