Rovman Powell expressed his disappointment after West Indies missed the semifinals in their home T20 World Cup, despite showing significant improvement recently. Speaking after the defeat to South Africa, which confirmed Aiden Markram's team as the second semifinalist from Group 2, the West Indies captain also highlighted the broader positive aspects.
"We didn't win the World Cup, but there has been a lot of improvement. There's a renewed buzz about West Indies cricket in the Caribbean. We've achieved many good things over the last 12 months," Powell remarked during the post-match presentation. He accentuated the rekindled passion for cricket in the Caribbean, noting that the national anthem now evokes a strong sense of pride among the players.
During the post-match press conference, Powell elaborated on the support from the fans at various venues. "In Guyana, the atmosphere was fantastic. Trinidad had a sold-out crowd, and St. Lucia was beautiful. Barbados also had a full house. Coming to Antigua and seeing such strong support from across the Caribbean shows how crucial cricket is for unifying the region," he said.
Powell urged his team to maintain their momentum and the positive energy they had revived in the Caribbean. "This is where the work starts. We need to keep working as a group, stay united, and hopefully, we can continue to climb the rankings and make the Caribbean proud," he stated. He acknowledged the team's progress, moving from number 9 to number 3 in the world rankings within a year, calling it a commendable achievement.
The match against South Africa was essentially a quarterfinal, generating significant local excitement. Powell dismissed the notion that emotions affected their performance. "The emotions were levelled. The team left the hotel motivated to win for the Caribbean people. Unfortunately, we weren't successful, but that's part of sports," he explained.
He acknowledged the team's disappointment, believing they had the talent to win the tournament at home. However, he encouraged the fans to continue supporting them. "We are disappointed because we believed we could win at home. But we've played good cricket, entertained the fans, and now we need their continued support. Being ranked number three in T20 cricket is a significant achievement," Powell said.
Powell hoped the team's performances in the World Cup would inspire more players to represent the West Indies, despite the lure of franchise cricket. "As captain, my goal is to motivate players to play for the West Indies. The appeal and money of franchise cricket make it challenging to field our best team consistently. But over the last year or two, we've done well. Hopefully, players will choose to represent the West Indies," he stated.
Looking ahead, Powell expressed optimism about the future. "In 24 months, we have another shot at the World Cup. Hopefully, the current players will continue to excel in international and franchise cricket, and we'll have the same core group trying to win for the Caribbean," he concluded.