Windies to capitalise on homesick England
WEST INDIES will look to exploit the feeling that England are already “mentally on the plane home” when the teams meet in their decisive World Cup clash today, according to Windies skipper Darren Sammy.
Andrew Strauss’s battle weary side must beat the men from the Caribbean in order to keep alive hopes of making it to the quarter-finals.
The majority of the England squad have been on tour for five months, if you include their Ashes winning campaign in Australia, and Sammy believes the likes of Graeme Swann, James Anderson and Paul Collingwood, whose wives have all recently given birth, may be hankering for home.
“It’s a good time to play England,” said Sammy, whose team have won their last three matches. “Obviously they’ve been on the road for a long time.
“Apparently they’ve been home for four days in five months. That’s something that will be on their minds.
“In order for them to stay, they’ve got to win, or maybe some of them will want to go home to their families. You never know.”
West Indies have, meanwhile, been boosted with the news that destructive opener Chris Gayle has been passed fit to play having recovered from an abdominal strain.