14 February - Cape Town - West Indies player Rashada Williams pre-match press conference
[Reporter]
It's India tomorrow. it's a big one. They obviously coming on high hopes because they win, but you guys are coming - you want to win something. and how important it is to win that game tomorrow?
[Rashada]
Well seeing that we lost our first game it's pretty important that we come out and perform to our best of our abilities tomorrow against India. we've played them twice in the tri-series before coming to the World Cup. So, we know where we went wrong. We know where we fall short. So, it's just for us to go there and turn up on the day.
[Reporter]
Obviously India is going to be stubborn, what sort of areas that you guys are going to focus on in terms of capitalizing on?
[Rashada]
Well we struggled a bit in our batting and we were pretty impressive with our bowling but it's just for everything to click, and once we get all those areas together then it will be a competitive game and the team that wants it more on the day will be the first.
[Reporter]
Just wanted to ask, the other day, South Africans in the Sri Lankan match, Chamari was held up on the short rising deliveries. Do you have a plan for incoming explosive Indian batters like Smriti Mandhana, Shefali Verma, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah? Do you have bowling, especially with your coach, one of the greatest fast bowlers. Do you have a fast-bowling plan in mind and if you want to share whatever little you can?
[Rashada]
I mean, our bowlers have their plans. I am not a bowler so I can't really expand on what the plan they have but I know we're coming out here to bowl our best deliveries at all times and our best deliveries will in the end help us to get wickets.
[Reporter]
How excited were you guys yesterday when the IPL auction was happening and - you personally and were you following it up on the on the mobile?
[Rashada]
Well, we were in our training session but we were pretty intrigued to know what's happening in the auction.
[Reporter]
You mentioned the bat and the bowling have to click. Last game against England, the batting really improved from the tri series that we played against South Africa and India. What do you think the bowling department needs to do now to get to that level where it can be on even ground for all of them?
[Rashada]
Well, as I said before, our bowlers will try to bowl their best deliveries at all times. And as coaches always say, bowling doesn't work without fielding. So, us in the field, you know, we have to back up the bowlers, regardless if it's a bad ball or it's a good ball.
[Reporter]
I wanted to know what, how pleased are you guys with the fact that Stafanie Taylor is back in the squad now?
[Rashada]
Well, Stephanie, she comes, she brings a lot of experience to the team, and she also brings a lot of guidance so it's really good to have her back in the team to help bring off, you know, a pretty impressive team.
[Reporter]
The team played the tri series obviously against India and South Africa coming into this World Cup. When you all were in East London, the West Indies bowling attack had India pretty much under control for the earlier parts of the match, but then we saw what they could have done from between the 9th and 11th over to the end of the game. What are you all looking forward to in the game tomorrow to curb that score?
[Rashada]
Well, we know India will be coming hard, and as you clearly stated, they're more aggressive in their latter part of their inning, so it's just for us to control the game for as long as possible, especially in the last, the last five because we know they're going to come hard. And in the last five when they come hard, it doesn't take our chances, they give opportunity that we get and restrict them.
[Reporter]
Your game has jumped to a new level in the last year. What have you been doing behind the scenes to make tweaks to your game?
[Rashada]
I've been working really close with the batting coach, and I've also been working pretty close with the wicket keeping specialists. I mean, in this game, you have to be versatile, you have to be able to up your game at any time, and with a team as diverse as West Indies, we need everyone to be on their A game, so it's just a lot of work behind the scenes with the coaches, and also with myself and my personal trainer.
[Reporter]
So, my question is about Pakistan and West Indies match. So as much as it's important for Pakistan to win the match, how are you preparing? I'm just curious about the training that you're doing about the match with Pakistan and West Indies?
[Rashada]
Well, we play one game at a time, you know, the Pakistan game is our last game, so we're really not focusing on that. We take it one step at a time, one game at a time. So, when it's time for us to play Pakistan, then we will get to that.
[Reporter]
India comes in with spinner heavy. We are more on spinners in the team in the squad. Now, if you were to bat and the batting, when it happens, are you going to go top, or are you just going to score on the squares? What are your strengths? Is it on the squares or is it straight down, dancing down the track and hitting out?
[Rashada]
Well, the strength is where the ball is. So, if they're bowling wide off the wicket, then utilize the square. If they're bowling drives, then utilize down the ground. So, it's really what's happening on the day.
[Reporter]
Looking at a team like India and the pitch at Newlands, do you think winning the toss matters? That kind of helps you to reach a goal, or it doesn't matter?
[Rashada]
Well, it really doesn't matter because a lot of games have been played on this wicket. So tomorrow we may get a different wicket. So we just have to go and assess tomorrow and then we will know what to do as a team.
