ISLAMABAD: Italy won the toss and elected to field against West Indies in Match 37 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on Thursday.
Hope said the side wanted a strong start, while Italy aimed to keep nerves in check.
Captain Harry Manenti backed his bowlers to exploit early movement on a surface with a “nice covering of grass”, with former West Indies spinner Samuel Badree highlighting yorkers and cutters as key weapons and noting the shorter square boundary.
West Indies, already through to the Super Eights, will use the final Group C fixture to sharpen their batting depth and combinations. Shai Hope leads with Brandon King at the top, followed by Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford, with Jason Holder providing all-round balance.
Italy’s maiden World Cup campaign continues to break new ground and they will look to test the two-time champions with disciplined powerplay bowling and tight death overs. The Italians line up with Justin Mosca, Anthony Mosca, Syed Naqvi and JJ Smuts in the top order, while Ben Manenti and Grant Stewart bolster the all-round options.
