Skipper Hope points to growth, consistency after ODI series sweep

BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CMC):

West Indies skipper Shai Hope expressed immense satisfaction with his team’s dominant 3-0 One-Day International (ODI) series victory over Bangladesh, highlighting the team’s growth, consistency, and collective effort in securing the clean sweep.

It was all smiles for the team captain when he spoke to reporters, following the team’s historic victory in the third ODI here on Thursday. When asked about the significance of winning the series 3-0, Hope’s pride was evident.

“Anytime you start a series and see a group of guys willing to play cricket, you can’t ask for better results than that. We’ve been planning well, and playing good cricket, and it’s just great to see that we can get over the line and sweep the series.”

The series saw strong performances from multiple players, with Sherfane Rutherford and Amir Jangoo getting centuries and Jayden Seales leading the wicket-taking column with five scalps. This is something Hope praised as crucial to their success.

“Everybody stepped up for the series and contributed to the overall victory. What’s pleasing for me as a leader is to see everyone putting their hands up in different situations. There’s not one particular guy doing the bulk of the work every single time.”

Reflecting on the team’s progression, Hope emphasised how the side has worked to avoid the pitfalls of inconsistency that have plagued them in the past.

“The progression is clear. Before, we would take one step forward and then two steps back, especially when we started a series well. We would find ourselves playing pretty mediocre cricket in the back end. But now, we’re keeping our foot down, especially when we are up.”

Hope pointed to the lessons learned from the England series earlier this year. “After that series, when we let them back in, I wanted to challenge the boys this time. When we have teams in strong positions, especially at home, we’ve got to make sure we finish the series. Winning more three nils is the goal.”

The skipper also acknowledged the increasing competition among the batting lineup and the importance of players making the most of their opportunities.

“It’s great to see what the guys are capable of at this level. The more opportunities they get, the better it is for us. Especially now when we’re doing well, it’s even better. I’m happy to see the guys grabbing their chances with both hands.”

However, Hope noted that there still is a need to bolster the team’s bowling options. “I think we need to find more spin options, especially wrist spin. But we’re going to get there, one step at a time. The progression is what matters.”