debut: 2/15/17
41,080 runs
In reply to Narper
Sheldon: "It will be a good night for TKR openers to return to form. Also Darren Bravo needs to turn back the clock. Go TKR"
Alex Hales: "I think it's really important to start well. In the last three games that we've lost, we probably haven't started well. As a batting unit, we found ourselves two or three down in the Powerplay. So in these pressure games, it's important to throw the first punch and stay on top. That hundred is the highest score of my career, so that's a pretty special experience. But apart from that, I've actually struggled at this ground. I think this is a great opportunity for me to put it right with a great franchise in some pressure games. [Longevity] I guess it's the love of the game and working hard behind the scenes. In T20, you always have to be looking to get better and adapt as a batter. These analysts seem to know your strengths and weaknesses, so you have to keep finding ways to improve, and that's something I've managed to do over the years. [On the Team's Power-Hitters] I love the banter. It's pretty impressive to watch those guys go about it, particularly Pollard and Russell. It's just unbelievable to watch them. I can't quite keep up with them. I've hit a few sixes, but I'm more of a boundary hitter, more of a four-hitter. Those guys can hit it to the moon and back, so I can just stand in awe and watch. [Who hits the Biggest Six] Honestly, it's so tough to say. I'd probably have to say Russell would hit the biggest, but Pollard consistently just seems to hit it as far as he wants."
Pitch Report from Samuel Badree: "It's a pleasant day, much cooler than we've seen before, at around 28 degrees Celsius. The humidity is always high, and there's a little breeze that's coming across at the moment. In terms of the dimensions, there is just a two-meter differential in the square boundaries, and the straight boundary is 75 meters. As I look at the surface, it's really a tale of two halves. On one half, it's quite bare and favors spinners. We saw someone like Usama Mir exploit these conditions. He bowled at a good pace and was able to extract significant turn from the surface, keeping the stumps in play as much as possible. As I go further down the track, there's a grass area around the 8.6-8.9 meter mark that the bowlers can use as a guide. The other half has more green grass, which someone like Jayden Seales utilized well. The last time he bowled here, he was able to get some seam movement and pick up two wickets in the Powerplay. Both teams have wonderful bowlers who can bowl on a pitch like this. We have skillful spin bowlers on both sides and skillful fast bowlers on both sides. There are runs on offer as well, so this one sets up for a wonderful game."
Imad Wasim: "We wanted to bat first. I think runs on the board are very important, especially against TKR. If we get a good score, a par score, I think we have the bowlers to defend it. [On Making the Playoffs] It's a good achievement, a great achievement, I must say. But we're just not here to play playoffs. We want to win every game. I'm really honored by how Antiguans supported us last year and how they keep on supporting us this year. I'm really happy about it. [On the Long Break] We had good sessions. The confidence is high, and the atmosphere is nice, so we're enjoying it here. [Team Changes] Yes, unfortunately, Salman Irshad has a groin injury from the last game, so he's not playing. Obed McCoy is in. And Rahkeem Cornwall is in instead of Shamar Springer."
Nicholas Pooran: "We're going to bowl first. We just want to try to limit them as much as possible, and hopefully, we can chase them down. It's all about respecting the conditions and really focusing on different areas we have to improve. We know that in the Powerplay, we have let ourselves down by losing three or four wickets. That's something we definitely spoke about. The bowling group has been fantastic for us so far, and hopefully, that continues. We have one change. Joshua Da Silva is out, and Darren Bravo is in. T20 cricket is all about tactics and strategy. We just feel like they have a lot of left-arm spinners and leg spinners, and we felt like that was a good tactical decision."
