20 March - Hamilton - West Indies coach Courtney Walsh pre-match press conference
Reporter: I would like to know how we are - because when the collapse happened against India and Australia first we could have turned that because it's too as a coincidence, but what happened against Bangladesh then three is our pattern, and three makes it a majority of the games you've played at the World Cup, the West Indies has experienced batting collapses? How do you then balance trying to prevent a collapse versus Pakistan and playing the actual conditions of the wicket that is put before you that is if there's runs to be had from the pitch, hoping that the three games prior what happened does not prevent the batters from accumulating the runs or if God forbid, wickets were to fall in a cluster anywhere in the innings. You understand that this is just this games situation and not preempting the innings based on what happened in the three prior?
Coach: Well as you as you just put it, the three prior games are no history. Got to focus on this game, is a very important game for us very important stage. And yes, we are not happy with how we have lost some wickets and as you say lose them quickly. So obviously we'll have to - we need our players to bat, and bat deep and we have quality players who can do so. And as we keep saying in our discussions, we need someone to bat in the top five to bat to the end. Cant believe that in the last game, we've got a score that we could have worked with. But we still need partnerships. And I think that's where we saw the falling on a little bit, we get a reasonable decent start, but then just not capitalizing consistently. And in the last few games. It didn't go to plan. But we have to start over this game afresh. Look at what we have in front of us. and plan accordingly to ensure that we get the partnerships that we want and that we have batters at the end.
I think once we have batters at the end, we have the power players who can give us a decent total. So the emphasis will be building on partnerships and not losing wickets in cluster. Because we did that in the last couple of games. Where we lost a couple of wickets all in a cluster. And then the pressure then gets on to the players and it takes a while before we get going again. Fortunately for us the lower order gave us some decent partnerships at the back end. And that's what helped us to win the game.
Reporter: Coach I just want to ask you real quick about a technical aspect of the team's batting. Now, how would you sum it up?
Coach: In terms of the performances, or what I would say, is that we’re probably a little bit not - what I'd say is that we’re probably a little bit skeptical about the execution. I don't think technically, there's any major issues, I think more probably, when you don't score runs, do we want to be a little bit more circumspect? And I think we probably have been a little bit of that, in the last couple of games, which is expected. What is for us now to get them and give them that confidence to go out and play cricket that we know they can play. So I don't think technically they would have fallen back overnight. We have had some decent scores, leading up to the competition and also in the competition. But when your confidence is down a little bit, you probably might feel the character just a little bit. And that might have what has happened in the last couple of games. But I think the time is over, we can get back on track and refocus, and just play it as we see and show good intent.
Reporter: Right, even before this tournament got on the way, questioning the top heaviness of this batting.
Do you still believe this is the way to go? Or do you think that probably, you need to make some adjustments, because when it is clear that when the top fails, the team struggles together.
Coach: You still want your best players to play the 50 overs. One, two, we had issues when we came in with – when Rashada was opening, when she was out. So we had also make a call - Hayley came up from where she was at number five, and scored 100 in the game and set us up to win the games. I mean, it's easy to look on the outside to say this is what you need to get done. But I mean, at the moment, the open partnership is working pretty well for us. I think it's for the mill to put their hand up. So yes, we have looked at options. And we've looked at options for the game we're going into, into every game to see what we can do to fine tune the batting and have people in the best place. But at the moment the open partnership is really working well. And yes, you want one of them in the middle, but it's going to be very difficult to do so. So we have to make the call as to what we think is best for the team. And if something is working then you don’t want to change it overnight. Because if it's changed, it's not working, then you're going to say why you changed it again? So we have to look at it. And I think looking at the surface and analyze what we think is best. Well, yes, we do have thoughts about shifting it around again, when you look at the surface, look at the state of the game and the opposition as well. So it's a very easy call. But we know that there's a level of concern because we have had three low scores, but I still back the ladies to come out and do well. But as the person before said, If I'm concerned – yes I would be concerned about the low scores that we've had. But there's enough confidence in them to turn that around.
Reporter: Are you okay with Staf’s form?
Coach: Well she has one score so far. I mean, she is showing good signs. I wouldn't say - I don't think she's happy with the score she's got because she's a high class player, and she wants to be to able to put up runs and to contribute to the team. But I think the time is right, if she can hit the ground running for the next couple of games, and set us up nicely, it will be running into form at the perfect time. So I don't think she's out of form. She had one decent score, which is unlike her. Normally in this competition she's been one of the batting, but that time I think will come and the perfect time for her to start is in our next game.
Reporter: My question is what were the immediate talks after the match against Bangladesh, it was a nail biting finish closely fought match, you got over the line. So what were the immediate talks after that match?
Coach: Well, the girls show good fight and spirit good fighting qualities you get a low scoring game and for them to go out and defend it, the way we did was excellent. Obviously, not happy with the score we got, we want that a bit more. But it's a game of cricket. And we had the runs on the board. And the girls went out and fought very, very hard. Yes, it was close in the end. But to get over the line was very pleased with our award. And it was a game that we had to win. Bangladesh, as we know, they just came off a win, their confidence was high as well. So it was always going to be a very good game, a very close game. And I'm happy that we came on victorious. And I think the fighting spirit that they have shown in all games they have played so far, with probably the exception of the Indian game has been pretty much good. So I'm happy with the fighting spirit that they have shown and we just have to keep doing that.
Reporter: Coach, one question for you, is going to be a tight situation coming down with teams still have two plus games to play each, looks like the possibility of net run rate going to come into play? Is that a concern for us? Or are we just focusing on get the two wins and secure spot in the semifinals?
Coach: First and foremost is to try to get two wins. If you get the two wins, and it doesn't come to net run rate, I think for us, so the game against Pakistan is going to be crucial to try to get the points or secure the points and then see what happened after that. So I think that'll be the first order of play, obviously, if we can win the last two games, we are more or less in the semifinals. So yes, points first and foremost, but we still have to have a high net run rate. And I think we can probably leave that upon to the last game. Because I don’t want to start putting pressure on players now in this game, and it goes pear shaped. So you want to focus on trying to win this game, first and foremost, get the points, get a decent score on the board that will put you up - but the points for me in this game would be crucial. And then we see all the other games work around that. And then we can decide the approach and the last game
Reporter: Our tournament so far has been a lot of ebbs and flows in terms of highs and lows, scary moments, joyous moments, heart racking moments in terms of the anxiety with the close games. Hopefully is it for you, with the performance of the team to where we're at right now?
Coach: Very, very pleased. I mean, when we left home, a lot of people didn't probably didn't give us any chance and our last campaign wasn't as well as we would have liked it to be. This one started very, very well. So everybody had high hopes. And then we lost two games which is a disappointment, which you can understand from the fans, we want to win, and we want to do well.
So I'm very, very pleased to the position that we're in now, very happy for the performances of the individuals who have put their hand up, I still don't think that we have put together the game that we know we can as a team. And have all department doing well.
No worries, but the best time to get a rolling with that, so if we can get that start against Pakistan it will be good for confidence for everybody as well. And if we can start putting together good team performances from here until the end of the competition I’ll be very happy. But I'm very, very happy with the way we are now, very happy with the effort from everybody. And I mean, yes, we have had some low scoring game, but the fighting qualities that the team has shown has been tremendous. And as long as that is happening, I'm happy for how we're playing. And the performance will improve. I think we have come a long way. And the performance will just keep improving. And once you're doing that, we're giving it our all as a team. I'm very happy
Reporter: Not to single out any players, but how special is Hayley Matthews?
Coach: She got a tremendous tournament, very special. She's a very special player. I mean, I'll say it here that when we were coming into the World Cup, we had long talks that we had her to be the backbone in the middle. She put her hand up when things didn't work out, to do things without any deliberations based on discussion we had before. And she's just gone about her business in the interest of the team. And when you have people playing like that for the team and preparing to do anything that requires to get the team over the line. As a coach, you have to be happy to have a player of that caliber in your team. And I mean, she's doing excellent with the bat. Very, very good with the ball. As we saw in the last game, the catches that's she has taken - so when you have someone like that around you, you just have to be happy for them and hope that the form continues right throughout the World Cup.