BIRMINGHAM, UK — A gloomy West Midlands sky has done little to dampen the spirit of the West Indies camp ahead of Thursday’s opening One-Day International against England at Edgbaston. Head coach Daren Sammy, forced to move Tuesday’s workout into the indoor nets, insisted his players remain “locked in” on the bigger mission: climbing the ICC rankings and punching an automatic ticket to the 2027 Cricket World Cup.
“Whether it’s Ireland, England, or anyone else, every series presents its own puzzles,” Sammy told reporters. “We already own the trophy from the home leg last winter; now the challenge is to transfer that form on the road.”
Currently sitting ninth—three points adrift of England—the West Indies must carve out away wins to stay on course for direct qualification. Sammy called the next stretch of ODIs “non-negotiable” in that quest: “Every single match from here to the cut-off matters. We’ve set 2027 as a lighthouse in the distance—automatic entry is step one, and ranking points are the currency.”
The former double-World-Cup-winning skipper singled out an emerging middle-order nucleus, praising Keacy Carty’s swift rise as the poster-child for the squad’s work ethic. “Over the past year our engine room has stacked up with the best,” Sammy said. “Keacy’s seized the brief we handed him and turned it into consistent runs—a return on investment sooner than spreadsheets predicted.”
While conceding that overseas conditions have stalled momentum in the past—Sri Lanka and Australia remain scars—Sammy believes lessons learned in a recent Irish tour have hardened the batting group. On the bowling front, 23-year-old quick Jayden Seales has added fresh thrust with the new ball, intensifying competition for spots.
Rain remains the one uncontrollable variable, but Sammy shrugged off the wet forecast with trademark pragmatism. “We prepare within the parameters we’re given,” he said. “If the skies clear, we’ll be ready to go. If they don’t—well, we’ll still be ready.”
