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The two-time T20 world champions West Indies are hosting an ICC tournament match for the first time since the 2010 World T20 and, after failing to qualify for the final event in 2022, will be hoping to go deep once again as they begin against associate nation Papua New Guinea.
DATE/TIME: UK – Sunday 2nd
June, 2024 – 15:30 / INDIA – Sunday 2nd June, 2024 – 20:00 / Pakistan – Sunday 2nd June, 2024 – 20:00 / Bangladesh – Sunday 2nd
June, 2024 – 20:30 / West Indies – Sunday 2nd June, 2024 – 09:30 / Australia – Monday 3rd June, 2024 – 00:30 / South Africa – Sunday 2nd
June, 2024 – 16:30 / US EST – Sunday 2nd June, 2024 – 10:30 / US PST – Sunday 2nd June, 2024 – 08:30
VENUE: Providence Stadium, Providence, Guyana
WEATHER: We have an early start for the West Indies and Papua New Guinea in this one with the expected start time of 09:30 on Sunday 2nd June but it is expected to thunder and lightning throughout the afternoon with heavy rain forecasted all morning, too.
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: This match will be shown live on Sky Sports in the UK, Star Sports in India and Disney Star in Bangladesh, Willow in the United States, PTV Sports and Ten Sports in Pakistan, ESPN Caribbean in the West Indies and SuperSport in South Africa. It will not be televised live in Australia, though.
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: This match will be streamed live via Sky Sports on the Sky Go app in the UK, Disney+Hotstar website in both India and Bangladesh, Willow TV’s website in the United States, Myco and Tamasha in Pakistan, ESPN Play Caribbean’s app in the West Indies, SuperSport’s app in South Africa and Amazon Prime Video in Australia.
WEST INDIES FORM: AVOIDING BECOMING A CLICHÉ
West Indies have majorly declined as a cricketing force in recent years with the group of Caribbean islands failing to even qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup in India last year and also missing out on the Super 12’s stage of the previous ICC T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022. Heading into this one, though, with Daren Sammy as their white-ball coach, there is optimism that the Windies can go deep into a tournament that is, of course, on home soil.
With players such as Brandon King, Rovman Powell, Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope beginning to reach a peak in the T20 format and older, experienced heads like Andre Russell and Johnson Charles also rediscovering their form, there is real hope for the West Indies in the next month. They head into the tournament on the back of hammering a strong South African side 3-0 in a recent T20I series with the closest margin of victory being a comfortable 16-run win during that series.
LAST FIVE: WWWWL
PAPUA NEW GUINEA FORM: TRYING TO SPRING A SURPRISE
Papua New Guinea have only ever previously played at one ICC event and that came when they lost all three of their group stage matches at the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup, held in the United Arab Emirates and Oman. The associate nation have an experienced group of players but that may hold them back as they are still reliant on the likes of 36-year-old captain Assad Vala and 32-year-old vice-captain Charles Amini.
In their squad of 15, the Pacific Islanders, coached by former Zimbabwe international Tatenda Taibu, have selected nine players of 30 or above and two others aged 28 or 29. They come into the tournament on the back of a tied two-match series against Malaysia back in March, in which they were bowled out for just 98 by the Malaysians in the second of those T20s. Their most recent warm-up earlier this week saw them comfortably defeated by Oman, too.
LAST FIVE: LLWWW
WEST INDIES BETTING ANALYSIS
As mentioned, the Windies have one of the fiercest and in-form opening partnerships in the competition with both Brandon King and 35-year-old Johnson Charles going well. Backing an overs bet for their opening stand against poor opposition seems a very good bet for this one.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA BETTING ANALYSIS
It is perhaps more slim pickings to try and find something from Papua New Guinea to back but identifying their man to take the most wickets in the match would seem the most sensible way to go. Alei Nao took 2-12 in that warm-up against Oman and right-arm medium pace could be tricky for a couple of the Windies’ players to read on a Providence Stadium pitch that is expected to be one of the slower and lower ones in the tournament.
WEST INDIES VS PAPUA NEW GUINEA EXPERT PREDICTION
The West Indies have thrown in some real shockers over the last decade, even losing to what was a weak Afghanistan side back in 2016 when they eventually went on to win the competition in India. However, on home soil and coming into this one in a good mood with Daren Sammy at the helm and a good balance of experienced and youth throughout the squad, a heavy West Indies victory is to be expected for their opening match in Guyana.
WEST INDIES VS PAPUA NEW GUINEA TIP: WEST INDIES TO WIN