"Even Afghanistan is ahead of us, and Bangladesh has gone ahead of us" - Carl Hooper on West Indies' position in world cricket
Former West Indies captain Carl Hooper reckons that the side will suffer a lot if they fail to qualify for the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup, scheduled to be played in India later this year.
Hooper, who is currently the assistant coach of West Indies, stated that he never imagined there would come a time when the team would struggle to even qualify for major tournaments. He pointed out how the West Indies failed to qualify for the T20 World Cup in Australia.
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Hooper remarked:
"The position hasn't changed. The point is can we go lower than this? Yes, we can go lower than this and if we don't qualify, we go a step lower. Never thought that I'd live to see the day where West Indies are trying to qualify for major tournaments. I sat in Australia, and we struggled to get through it in the T20s and here we are in Zimbabwe."
"No disrespect to the other teams, but we're playing against the likes of the USA, Nepal and Scotland. Even Afghanistan is ahead of us, and Bangladesh has gone ahead of us. So, this is distressing, and can we go lower? Yes, we can go lower. This game continues to remind you that until you start doing the right things, you can go lower. As I said before, I never thought I would live to see this day, but here I am in Zimbabwe, starting a game on Sunday. We've got to try and beat the USA."
The 12th edition of the Cricket World Cup Qualifier is scheduled to kick off in Zimbabwe on Sunday, June 18. West Indies, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Zimbabwe, the Netherlands, Scotland, Oman, Nepal, the USA and UAE will feature in the competition.
"We're ready" - Carl Hooper confident of West Indies doing well in the World Cup Qualifier
Carl Hooper seemed confident about West Indies' chances in the qualifiers under the guidance of newly appointed white-ball head coach Darren Sammy. He said:
""We're ready. I mean you get a feel, and you get a vibe for the energy in the team. I think Daren Sammy, as you know, is a fabulous, inspirational leader. Now he has been tasked, trying to get West Indies into the qualification, which will be massive for us."
"So, the energy so far in Dubai and with the other boys joining us here in Zimbabwe has been great. We're looking forward to the game on Sunday and I'm sure we will do well."
West Indies will take on the United States in the second match of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers 2023 at the Takashinga Sports Club in Harare on Sunday, June 18.