11 March - Hamilton - West Indies player Shakera Selman pre-match press conference
Reporter: I just wanted to ask about the role of the three spinners that the West Indies have in Hayley, Anisa and Stafanie - Yesterday we saw how India struggled at the top with off spinners operating at one end and West Indies also we've seen using a spinner in a power play and you know, trying to choke. So what kind of role the trio has to play in a contest like India tomorrow?
Shakera Salman: Yeah, our all spinners are quite flexible, decisions depend on the game situation. Sometimes you can see Hayley Matthews bowling like you said - But I think it goes according to the situation of the game, all our pacers have been doing well. So it depends on where we think we need the off spinners.
Reporter: A word on some only like you know Deandra Dottin. We all know the kind of character she is - but the way she has owned the World Cup stage so far, for this team. Are your thoughts on her performance so far in this tournament?
Shakera: Deandra is brilliant. She's a special talent - I don't know she's clearly the best. She’s done well in the first game - She put her hand to bowl that last over after not bowling a ball in the entire – batter for the entire series. We saw what she could do in the few in the last game. I think we probably want to see her bat - but she's brilliant. Deandra is a typical all-rounder, who is going to do well regardless of whatever pressure we're on, or whatever pressure she's under.
Reporter: My question for you is that how big a confidence booster it is for the West Indies to have defeated New Zealand as well as England in their first two matches?
Shakera: Obviously, really good to get off to a good start. We're pumped to have won our first two games especially against two highly ranked sides - two teams we haven't done well against in recent times. First time we’ve beaten Zealand In New Zealand, and the first time we’ve beaten England in an ODI World Cup - so we're really excited as a team. But we're not getting carried away. We know that we're going to have to keep fighting, it is going to get harder - our coaches have reminded us that, that we came into this world pretty much under the radar. No teams are going to be focusing on us, so we know it's going to get tougher.
Reporter: I have another question for you. How would you talk about Stafanie Taylor's handling of the West Indies team especially in the pressure situations?
Shakera: Stefanie has been an outstanding leader, I think what has worked in our favor and her favor is the whole time she keeps on the field - rarely gives any facial expressions, but she still tends to keep her calm and she can keep fairly well, especially when we're under pressure. So I think that has worked in her favor, and everyone’s favor.
Reporter: My question to you is about something that Stefanie had written in her column for ICC, before the tournament started - she had said - you know the coaching staff have been able to teach us things that we were just completely unaware of previously, and has put you all in a really good space. Could you just elaborate that on a little bit how - the space that you have been in as a team and what are the things that have clicked for you in that regard?
Shakera: Yeah, Stefan is right. It is amazing that many of us have been playing the game for so long and this coaching staff has actually introduced things that we have never known before. What that has done, it has worked for our confidence. They've taught us how to really build an innings - I think it has been a long time since we've scored 200 runs consistently. I think that's the biggest plus for us as a team, and the batting coach has done really well, along with the help from all the other coaches - we sat alongside him. But like I said, I think what's worked really well is that they instilled a lot of confidence in the team and now we believe in ourselves and each other a lot more.
Reporter: Just a little bit further on what Vinayak just asked – your role has also changed a little under this new coaching staff – you’re probably coming in a little later in the innings - Could you talk about how you fit into this new role and what are those little things that they helped you with?
Shakera: Yeah, it has changed quite a lot. At the start of my career I was opening bowling and perhaps only opening bowling - but I have realized that I needed to work on bowling the old ball. Obviously, it's not always going to go well with the new ball, and I need to be able to come by - I am in the team as a bowler and my job is to bowl 10 overs for the team. If anyone knows me, they will know I am a team player - So I do whatever the team requires and we were told that other bowlers are bowling well with the new ball and we need someone to control in the middle and that’s when I realized - give it to me and I am open to - like I said I am open to doing anything that the team requires. I think working with Courtney Walsh and Corey Collymore, both legends in their own right - has really helped me to get confidence with the old ball but also to control – what I need to do to control those middle overs.
Reporter: Was that a mindset change or a lot of technical things that went into it as well?
Shakera: Probably mindset but mindset where - I think my mindset changed a few years ago and some days I would only bowl four overs for the team – if those four overs with the new ball didn't go well. Then we would see the captain going to the spinners quite often and spinners bowling their full course but then then the pace was not necessarily coming back. I wasn't too happy with that as a bowler – as I said my job is to bowl 10 overs for the team. If I am in the team as a bowler I think I should be able to bowl 10 overs - whenever the team requires.
Reporter: India - their batting lineup has really struggled in the last couple of games. Is that an area that you guys have discussed and you guys will be looking to target.
Shakera: Yeah we obviously have discussed it as a team. We saw the change from Shafali Verma to Yastika at the top - we have no idea what they will bring tomorrow. But we are prepared for whatever they try - we have been doing well with the ball – and we're just going to focus on our strengths and hopefully it turns out that we will be able to exploit their weaknesses.
Reporter: And India – of course played 3 lefthanders, yesterday – you still have your two left handers who are probably sure starters - you have a lot of off spinners in your team. How does that match up work for you?
Shakera: Yeah, I think our off spinners are probably looking at their batting lineup - But like I said - we have no idea what change we will make tomorrow. The good thing for us is that Shafali didn't do well in the first game either. So maybe it's more an issue for the India team to figure out who they are going to send against us tomorrow.
Reporter: If you could tell us a bit more about the kind of character Deandra Dottin is in the dressing room. Of course you’ve spent a fair number of years in the dressing room with her and she's obviously evolved as a batter, a bowler and all-rounder, so to speak, her leadership qualities behind the scenes that you have seen evolve over the years. Can you tell us a bit about that?
Shakera: Yeah, I think Deandra has grown tremendously as a leader over the last few years. She has grown tremendously. We've seen her helping a lot of the youngsters. She is obviously a bit aggressive, which helps I think – I think that helps in the field. It helps as a batter - but she has grown tremendously as a leader and she's always offering suggestions to all the youngsters - even to the senior players - as I'm sure you guys would have seen those long conversations with Stafanie on the field where we're trying to make crucial decisions.
Reporter: This is obviously going to be your third game on a different ground and you're coming up another game at Hamilton. What have you made so far of the games here and how have you been preparing for it?
Shakera: Yeah, yes, it was a bit different, we saw the pacers get a bit of swing and a lot of bounce yesterday. The spinners did also get some purchase - I think Kerr was able to turn the ball quite a lot, but maybe she turns it on anything. But yeah, the pitch looks really good – like you said we've been going quite a bit. I don't know maybe it's working in our favor. And no, we're not able to overthink and yeah, we just have to play a really good game tomorrow. Doesn't matter what pitch we’re playing on.