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T20 World Cup | Nicholas Pooran confident of Windies batting against Bangladesh

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West Indies' vice-captain Nicholas Pooran admitted that the Caribbean batters didn’t come to the pastry in the first two games of their T20 World Cup 2021 campaign, but was equally vocal in assuring that come the game against Bangladesh and the batters would be ready to put their best foot forward. 

"I think we're really hurt at losing those two games and we have only ourselves to blame. But the mood is still good. We know what we have to do and everyone is up for the challenge,” Pooran said in the pre-match press conference in Sharjah. 

"We just didn't rise to the occasion, to be honest. I think as batsmen and as a team, we've already accepted that we didn't come to the party and we're looking forward to moving forward and hopefully we can do much better,” added the 26-year-old. 

Asked if changes are expected in the next game given that Lendl Simmons didn’t really add much to the team’s progress in the last two games and Jason Holder, who can bat very well has been brought in as a replacement for injured Obed McCoy, Pooran said that whoever plays the next game will give his 100%. 

“We back our batsmen 100%. Doesn't matter if it's a right-hand or left-hand batsman. We back them to do the job for us - whoever is playing in that XI tomorrow, they'll have specific roles,” he said. 

Bangladesh have lost two in two as well in the Super 12 stage and are in the same boat as the Windies and thus Pooran felt that they too would be feeling the heat. "I think Bangladesh after losing two games - they are in the same situation as us as well. So, I think it's going to be a good challenge for us tomorrow. 

We need to get that victory and play in Sharjah. We know Bangladesh have a lot of spinners as well. It's definitely going to be a challenge for us as well and it's how bad we actually want it,” he said. 

This game is virtually a do or die for both the teams as a loss in it would end their campaign once and for all.

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