DHAKA – West Indies Under-19s coach Graeme West is hoping his players can use their knowledge of Bangladesh Under-19s to exploit them, when the two teams face-off in the semi-final of the Youth Cricket World Cup here, starting tonight Caribbean time.
The Caribbean side earned the right to play the host in the penultimate round after their five wicket quarter-final victory over Pakistan on Saturday.
West says his charges are fully aware of the strength of their opposition after playing a three-match warm-up series against them and losing.
“We are very lucky we played them three times so we know their side, we know their strength. Their top six are all very well organised and their spin attack is very good and very skilful in the conditions here in Bangladesh,” said West.
“They also have two good seam bowlers but they are not a non-quantity to us. We are very familiar with them. We know what to look out for.”
Half-centuries from Tevin Imlach and Shimron Hetmyer topped a hundred from Umair Masood to guide the Windies Under-19s past Pakistan Under-19s at Cox Bazaar.
Chasing 228 for victory, Imlach, opening the batting, hit the top score of 54 and put on 77 with fellow Guyanese, captain and regular opener Hetmyer for the second wicket, to put the Caribbean side on course for victory.
West says their semi-final clash against Bangladesh will serve to measure the progress of the Caribbean side in the tournament thus far.
He is hoping that huge hometown support for Bangladesh would work in favour of the West Indies.
“There is a huge amount of support for Bangladesh here, first time they reach the semi-finals of an ICC competition. So we are going to hope that gets them a little bit. Obviously they are going to be huge expectations,” said West.
“They are a good side we would certainly be the underdogs but it will be a great test in terms of the progress we have made since we arrived in Bangladesh in January.” (CMC)
