Not going to put ourselves under too much pressure: Taylor
Stafanie Taylor, the West Indies Women's captain, wasn't in the least bit amused on Tuesday (November 8) when the organisers told her that the press meet, ahead of the three-match One-Day International series against India in Vijaywada, had been rescheduled to start half an hour later, well after she'd already occupied a seat on the dais waiting for proceedings to begin. Upon a retake, 30 minutes later, a pleasant reminder of her team's recent success in the subcontinent left the 25-year-old gushing with pride.
"Well, I actually bet that it would hundred per cent be the first question asked," she laughed, before adding, "Yeah, we're pretty happy being back in India. There has been some great memories, playing here and we are really looking forward to playing back here."
Barely six months ago, the Taylor-led West Indies side stunned the most successful side in the mix, their arch nemesis Australia, to clinch their maiden ICC World Twenty20 title at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Prior to that, they produced another clinical performance, defending a lowly 114 at Mohali, to knock out the hosts India and seal the available semifinal berth. That they got the better of India in their own backyard is a happy memory that'll boost the confidence of the visitors, but resting on past laurels is not something Taylor is very keen on.
"We're not thinking about just the opposition, what's more (important is that) we have to win. Yeah, we've played India earlier this year and we beat them. But this is different format, that was T20s. We know that India is a good team in one-dayers. No doubt that it is not going to be an easy one. But we hope that we pull through," Taylor noted, dismissing the thought that her team would have an upper hand in the contest.
West Indies landed in India on third spot in the ICC Women's ODI championship, behind Australia and England, with 22 points from their 18 concluded games and just one win shy of securing an automatic berth for the 50-over World Cup in 2017. Now, much like their male counterparts, the West Indies Women's team has steadily established itself as a force to reckon with in the briefest format of the game. Likewise, when it comes to one-dayers though, their unpredictability, the inconsistency, tarnishes that reputation.
"We know how crucial these games are and it's just about applying ourselves. We know how vital the (points) are, and we just have to go out there and apply ourselves and get the job done,' she noted.
With a World Cup berth at stake, a single mistake in the middle could be a potential game-changer. Having lost their sixth round games to England by a 2-1 margin at home, West Indies would know a thing or two about the pressure it brings along. Taylor admitted that the visitors haven't had ideal preparation in the lead-up to the series.
The all-round captain, however, said the focus is more on the task at hand, rather than its consequences. "It's always going to be at the back of your head, when you know that you want a (single) win. But we are not going to put ourselves under too much pressure. It's just about being going out there and being confident and trying to stay relaxed," she concluded.
"Well, I actually bet that it would hundred per cent be the first question asked," she laughed, before adding, "Yeah, we're pretty happy being back in India. There has been some great memories, playing here and we are really looking forward to playing back here."
Barely six months ago, the Taylor-led West Indies side stunned the most successful side in the mix, their arch nemesis Australia, to clinch their maiden ICC World Twenty20 title at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Prior to that, they produced another clinical performance, defending a lowly 114 at Mohali, to knock out the hosts India and seal the available semifinal berth. That they got the better of India in their own backyard is a happy memory that'll boost the confidence of the visitors, but resting on past laurels is not something Taylor is very keen on.
"We're not thinking about just the opposition, what's more (important is that) we have to win. Yeah, we've played India earlier this year and we beat them. But this is different format, that was T20s. We know that India is a good team in one-dayers. No doubt that it is not going to be an easy one. But we hope that we pull through," Taylor noted, dismissing the thought that her team would have an upper hand in the contest.
West Indies landed in India on third spot in the ICC Women's ODI championship, behind Australia and England, with 22 points from their 18 concluded games and just one win shy of securing an automatic berth for the 50-over World Cup in 2017. Now, much like their male counterparts, the West Indies Women's team has steadily established itself as a force to reckon with in the briefest format of the game. Likewise, when it comes to one-dayers though, their unpredictability, the inconsistency, tarnishes that reputation.
"We know how crucial these games are and it's just about applying ourselves. We know how vital the (points) are, and we just have to go out there and apply ourselves and get the job done,' she noted.
With a World Cup berth at stake, a single mistake in the middle could be a potential game-changer. Having lost their sixth round games to England by a 2-1 margin at home, West Indies would know a thing or two about the pressure it brings along. Taylor admitted that the visitors haven't had ideal preparation in the lead-up to the series.
The all-round captain, however, said the focus is more on the task at hand, rather than its consequences. "It's always going to be at the back of your head, when you know that you want a (single) win. But we are not going to put ourselves under too much pressure. It's just about being going out there and being confident and trying to stay relaxed," she concluded.
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