Hope demands urgent powerplay fix

DUNEDIN, New Zealand:

The West Indies' T20 International cricket series against New Zealand ended in a dispiriting whimper on Thursday, as the hosts saved their most inept performance for the decisive fifth match, slumping to an eight-wicket defeat that handed the series to the Black Caps.

The loss laid bare the recurring flaws that have plagued the Caribbean side throughout the contest, with a top-order collapse proving terminal.

In the aftermath, captain Shai Hope pinpointed his team's chronic inability to adapt as the primary cause of their downfall.

"The powerplay has been our Achilles heel for this series," Hope stated. "Unfortunately, as batters, we did not assess and adapt as quickly as we should have, or wanted to."

VALIANT EFFORTS

The skipper acknowledged the valiant efforts of the lower-order batsmen, who have repeatedly been left with a mountain to climb.

"Credit still must be given to the guys in the lower half for putting their hands up. We may have given them a bit too much work to do in the back end, but, where the batting is concerned, it's certainly an area that we need to improve quickly, going into this ODI series as well."

Hope emphasised that the solution isn't about reckless aggression, but smarter, more assertive batting to disrupt the bowlers.

"We just need to be a little bit more precise with our stroke play," he explained. "It's important not to allow good bowlers to settle. [It's] something that we need to fix, and fix pretty quickly."

COUNTER-PRESSURE

He elaborated on the need to apply counter-pressure, a skill his team has lacked.

"A lot of times, we find ourselves in tough situations, 2, 3, 4 down sometimes in the powerplay when guys are hitting the straps. So we have to find ways to stop them from getting into rhythm, not necessarily forcing the issue, but not making it easy for them to settle."

Amid the criticism of the batting unit, Hope was effusive in his praise for one standout performer, all-rounder Romario Shepherd.

Hailing the player's work ethic and growing consistency, Hope painted a picture of a player coming into his own.

"Sheppy, he's always been a hard worker, someone who's very detailed in his preparation. He does a lot of research, and it's great to see that his success is coming more consistently."

The captain highlighted Shepherd's crucial impact with the ball, particularly in the team's solitary series victory.

"He's been really good with the ball, coming and picking up some very crucial wickets at some crucial stages in the back end. In the first game that we won, he defended that last over as well."

The team now turns its attention to the upcoming ODI series.

- CMC