SOUTHAMPTON, England (CMC):
Despite two losses, former Windies captain Clive Lloyd has not given up faith that the regional side can still win the 2019 ICC World Cup.
However, for that to happen, the legendary cricketer says the Windies cannot afford to lose any more games.
The Windies lost their second game of the tournament against England on Friday by eight wickets. It was their second loss in four games and leaves them in sixth position on three points.
Lloyd said it was imperative the regional team win their remaining five games.
“If the West Indies want to win this World Cup, then now is the time for them to come out fighting and show what they are made of. Defeats and bad days are always going to happen in a tournament like this, and now we just have to hope that the West Indies have got all of theirs out of the way,” Lloyd said.
“I still think they have got the firepower in both their batting and bowling to go all the way, but the pressure is building. They need to win nearly every group game from here on in if they are to have a chance of making the semi-finals.
“Eleven points will probably be enough to get a team into the top four, and considering they still have the likes of New Zealand and India to play, it is now or never,” he pointed out.
While Lloyd said the Windies would be very disappointed in their performance against England, he maintained that the writing was not yet on the wall.
He said it was up to captain Jason Holder to now rally the team for their upcoming game against Bangladesh.
“But all is not lost just yet. Jason Holder has got to try and rally the troops and get them back on track. They started well in this tournament and are still in there fighting.
“Bangladesh is up next tomorrow, and they are no pushovers. They beat the West Indies twice in a Tri-Series very recently, have beaten South Africa in this tournament already, and made a very good fist of chasing down a huge total against England,” Lloyd cautioned.
“It’s a must-win clash for both sides. Bangladesh will be feeling very good about their game, and it’s up to the West Indies to stand up and be counted.”