West Indies batter Amir Jangoo admitted that the team must improve significantly after a heartbreaking one-wicket defeat to New Zealand in the fourth ODI at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Jangoo’s comments came after the Men in Maroon were bowled out for just 188, leaving their qualification hopes for the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup hanging by a thread. West Indies have already missed the 2023 edition of the tournament, making their current situation even more concerning.
The young batter was his team’s top scorer with a patient 51 off 73 balls. Speaking after the match, Jangoo said West Indies have enough quality in their squad but need to start converting their potential into victories.
“The kind of quality that this team has, I think we don’t deserve to be going to the qualifiers. It’s just the position that we’re in. But we know the quality that we have in our dressing room, all the bowlers, and even young Vitel Lawes, who has made a breakthrough in this series,” Jangoo said.
“It’s great to see those signs. Going forward, we have to play the right cricket and get those wins on the board for West Indies,” he added.
The Men in Maroon were dismissed in 44.4 overs, marking the third consecutive match in which they failed to bat out their full quota of 50 overs. Jangoo acknowledged the issue and stressed that the batting unit must take responsibility.
“We haven’t batted 50 overs in three games now. That’s on us. It’s something we have to look at internally as batsmen and see how we can improve. We have one more game to rectify that,” he said.
Reflecting on the defeat, Jangoo admitted that the result was difficult to accept given the importance of the match.
“It’s a pretty difficult pill to swallow because we know how much was at stake. It’s all about understanding where we went wrong. We know the quality we have in the team and what we need to work on. For the qualifiers, we’ll be ready,” he added.
Despite West Indies’ modest total, the hosts came close to defending it as Gudakesh Motie claimed five wickets. However, Mitchell Santner and Jayden Lennox held their nerve to guide New Zealand to victory. Mark Chapman top-scored with 80 off 82 balls as the Black Caps secured an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series.
