West Indies head coach Daren Sammy said Zimbabwe may have drawn extra motivation from being drawn with higher-seeded Sri Lanka and Australia in Group B, a factor he believes could inspire them to punch above their weight and finish on top.
Much to the surprise of many, Zimbabwe topped Group B ahead of Sri Lankawhile former champions Australia were eliminated. The Super Eights pre-match has since become the talk of the town as the tournament enters its decisive phase.
Sammy said he understood the rationale behind the format.
“When you take the logistics that come into it, you’re trying to give fans who are probably traveling, (it’s) an opportunity to plan ahead,” Sammy told reporters ahead of West Indies’ Super Eights match against Zimbabwe.
“… The big thing for most people is (that) they would say ‘oh! West Indies are out of the group’ (or) ‘oh! Zimbabwe are out of the group’ – meaning someone they see there (going out) didn’t get out.”
He added that such scenarios can act as added fuel for teams.
“Zimbabwe did what they had to do. If we weren’t seeded or something and I saw this person (opponent) playing there, it gives me motivation.
“I’m pretty sure Zimbabwe, looking at that group there, gave them motivation and inspiration to come out and play the way they did. But I understand it from a logistical point of view, I’m trying to give the fans confidence.”
Sammy wasn’t concerned with how the teams were placed in the draw.
“You rarely get top teams in the same round. My team knows they have to play (at) the World Cup. Tomorrow we have Zimbabwe, (then) we have South Africa and then India,” he said.
“We have (two) finalists in the last World Cup. If you want to win, you have to play what’s in front of you. Don’t take it for granted, don’t take anybody lightly. If you start bringing in other factors, it will derail you,” he said.
When asked how the West Indies are approaching the match against a team not generally expected to progress this far, Sammy gave a definite answer.
“Who said Zimbabwe shouldn’t be here?”
“A lot of people say the West Indies shouldn’t be there either. When you’re in the World Cup you have to respect every opposition.”
“That’s what we’ve been doing; that’s what I’m encouraging my guys to do. Respect the opposition but believe in yourself, believe in your processes and your execution. Tomorrow we’ll approach it the same way we approach a game against India or Australia or whoever,” Sammy said.
The two-time T20 World Cup captain said the format naturally narrows the gap between teams and praised Zimbabwe’s management.
“Like us, they (Zimbabwe) are very confident, they are playing good cricket. T20 is a format that brings teams together. There is no clear winner. These guys played well. Zimbabwe, who missed out on the World Cup, are (are) led well. Sikandar (Raza) is very confident. He leads by example.
“They’ve got six fans in the stands, which sounds like one million. It’s (are) a lot. I would understand it from that point of view, where nobody gives you a chance (and) how you can use that as inspiration,” Sammy added.
He also pointed to the wider competitiveness of the tournament.
“We had 20 teams in this tournament. In our group (C) in particular, everyone won a game. The affiliate teams really pushed the full members. They say the game is growing, especially in the shorter format. One person could really make a difference win or lose.”
While West Indies have enjoyed an unbeaten run so far, Sammy credited collective effort and preparation.
“It’s the first time in a long time that we’ve had every individual available for West Indies to play,” he said.
“Just the way we’ve built, the different players we’ve tried going into the World Cup, it’s a conscious effort for each player to pay a little more attention to detail, preparation, planning.”
He added: “Besides, the guys believe they could do something special, that’s what I saw and that’s why I said it in the first press conference (that) I feel we could do something special.”
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
February 23, 2026
