West Indies to play 4th ODI as tribute to Garry Sobers | CricTracker

West Indies ODI skipper Shai Hope paid tribute to Sir Garfield Sobers ahead of the fourth ODI of the five-match series against New Zealand and is aiming to win the game in honour of the late all-rounder, who passed away on Friday, July 17.

The cricketing world suffered a significant loss with the passing of the legendary all-rounder, who was credited for his contributions to West Indies cricket and the game as a whole. Hope acknowledged that the occasion would be significant for the team, and they would be looking to get a result in honour of the all-rounder.

“It was a sad one. It’s something that he [Sobers] has shown what West Indies cricket really means. He’s one of the first legends of the game, really set and paved the way for us all. So I think tomorrow should be a big inspiration for us, a big confidence-booster for us,” Hope said at the pre-match press conference.

“Not saying that we’re looking at the death only to raise us, but we need to play this one for the great man, and hopefully we can get the results that we really want in his honour as well,” The wicketkeeper-batter added. 

The Windies trail 2-1 in the series, having lost the previous two games. With the series shifting towards Barbados after the first three games in Guyana, Hope stated that each game is important for the team, considering their qualification hopes for the 2027 ODI World Cup rest on their results. 

“It’s very important. I’ve been mentioning for the last few series now, every single game is very important, especially for what’s at stake. We’ve got a big qualification period, so I think these games hold a lot more weight, probably a bit more than the others.

But we’ve still got to play each game as it comes. We’ve got to ensure that we’re following all of our processes and executing when the time comes, because as you name a game, tomorrow especially, being able to execute under pressure and in those crucial moments,” the experienced cricketer added.

Hope stated the series in fine fashion, scoring an unbeaten 87 off 92 balls in a seven-wicket victory. He has followed it up with scores of 7 and 8 in the next two games, struggling against the New Zealand spinners. He believes that stepping up on the day is more important than form and doing everything necessary for the team.

“I don’t really believe in form. It’s about doing what’s required on the day. There are games you’ll be batting really well and don’t get much, and vice versa: there are some games you feel out of sync and you come in and score runs. It’s just about being able to execute on the day, doing whatever is necessary and what is required for the team on a given day,” he said.

Personally, I always feel good going into the game. Once I cross the line, I always believe I can get the job done. The main aim for me is just trying to execute under pressure,” Hope concluded.

The match will be played at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, on Sunday, July 19. The same venue will also host the final game of the series.

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