Captain Shai Hope believes role clarity and collective understanding in the dressing room have been the driving force behind West Indies’ clinical march to the Super Eights of the T20 World Cup as the two-time champions continue to rediscover their edge on the global stage.
With four wins from four in the group stage West Indies topped Group C and also demonstrated a template that contrasts with the stereotype of ruthless Caribbean aggression. Instead of an all-out attack from the first ball, they patiently built the innings, kept wickets through the middle overs and then unleashed calculated power in the closing stages – a method backed by clearly defined responsibilities.
“Clarity is the biggest thing, especially in such a big tournament,” Hope said after their comprehensive 42-run win over Italy in their final Group C match at the Eden Gardens.
West Indies vs Italy T20 World Cup: MAIN | SCORECARD
The venue has special significance for the West Indies, who won their last T20 World Cup title there a decade ago before suffering a long slump. Now, with renewed structure and conviction, they move into the Super Eights where Zimbabwe, South Africa and India await.
“When you come to the World Cup, you don’t want to be playing catch-up, especially when you basically have to hit the ground running, especially when you’re playing against some of the better teams in the world,” Hope said.
DEFINED ROLES, TAILORED PREPARATION
For Hope, the shift in West Indies’ approach is rooted not in a drastic tactical change, but in a sharper definition of individual roles.
“I wouldn’t say it’s changed much. It’s more about the role I’ve been given and how we want to play cricket as a West Indies team,” he explained.
“But now I feel it’s a bit clearer in terms of the role and the way we want to play our cricket.
This clarity was also reflected in his personal preparation.
“If you want to play a certain role or a certain way, then everything has to shift. So I adapted the training and planning accordingly.”
One of the most notable tactical adjustments was the promotion of Shimron Hetmyer to No.3 – a departure from his traditional finisher slot. The left-hander responded with scores of 64, 23 and 46 not out in his first three matches before managing just one against Italy. This shift gave West Indies early stability and allowed their powerful batsmen to work with more freedom later in the innings.
Hope emphasized that in a tournament of this nature, clearly defined roles are not a luxury, but a necessity.
“It’s not like a back-to-back series where you have a couple of losses and you win the series 3-2. So clarity has been one of the biggest things we’ve focused on in preparation and making sure that every single player, whether it’s the starting XI or even those on the bench, we’re trying to make sure we have a player fit for every role that we need to fill in the middle.”
NO SATISFACTION EVEN WITH A PERFECT START
Despite their unblemished record on the group scene, Hope quickly dismissed any notion of complacency.
“We have to make sure we play our best cricket, no matter who we’re playing against. We saw the threat Italy posed in the competition, so we left no stone unturned again today.”
He added that continuous improvement remains central to their thinking.
“There’s always an area you can improve in every game. We just can’t look too far ahead. We’ve got to make sure we’re focused on what’s in front of us and not necessarily harp too much on the areas where we’ve fallen behind.”
The captain also emphasized the importance of collective responsibility in a challenging campaign.
“In any sport, everybody’s not going to get a shot every day. So especially in a team sport, it’s important when one of your teammates is down, the other guys, you’ve got to make sure we pull them up, make some slack for them. That’s how the game works throughout the tournament,” he said.
THE SUPER EIGHTS CHALLENGE AWAITS
West Indies will open their Super Eights campaign against Zimbabwe in Mumbai, the side that stunned Australia to seal qualification. The match will be played at the Wankhede Stadium, where West Indies have featured in the tournament before.
Hope insisted that while preparation will be tailored to the opposition, the team’s basic approach will remain unchanged.
“Not really. Just in terms of planning stages, we have to plan for whoever is in front of us. If it was Namibia, if it was anyone, we have to make sure what we do is necessary to be ready for the opposition.”
Having already experienced the conditions at the Wankhede, he believes the familiarity could offer a subtle advantage.
“The experience of playing at the Wankhede would give us a bit more confidence as a team to know what works more than what doesn’t. But then again, cricket only plays there,” he signed off.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
February 19, 2026