Play what's in front of you: WI coach Sammy on impact of T20 WC seedings

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has downplayed the significance of seedings in the T20 World Cup, insisting that his team is focused solely on executing their game plan rather than worrying about how groups are drawn.  Speaking during the pre-match press conference ahead of the West Indies’ Super Eights match against Zimbabwe, Sammy said while seedings might help organizers with logistics and fan planning, they do little to determine outcomes on the field.

"If you take the logistics that comes into it, trying to give fans who probably travel, (it is) an opportunity to plan ahead," Sammy told reporters. 

"... The big thing for most people is (that) they would be saying 'oh! West Indies came out of the group' (or) 'oh! Zimbabwe came out of the group' - that means somebody they see (coming out from) there did not come out."

Zimbabwe’s Rise Not a Surprise

Despite being drawn in a tough Group B alongside higher-seeded teams Sri Lanka and Australia, Zimbabwe topped the group, leaving cricket fans stunned. Sammy acknowledged that the lineup could have inspired Zimbabwe to exceed expectations, but he refused to read too much into seedings. 

"Zimbabwe did what they had to do. If we were not seeded or so, and I saw this person (an opponent) is going to play there, that gives me motivation. I'm pretty sure Zimbabwe, looking at that group there, gave them motivation and inspiration to come out and play the way they played. But I do understand from the logistics standpoint, trying to give the fans the surety," he added.

Sammy emphasized that his team is approaching every match with the same mindset, regardless of the opponent’s ranking or past reputation.

"You seldom get top teams in the same round. My team knows they have to play (in) a World Cup. We've got Zimbabwe tomorrow, (then) we've got South Africa and then India. We've got (the two) finalists of the last World Cup. If you're going to win, you've got to play what's in front of you. Not take it for granted, not take anybody lightly. If you start to bring in other factors, it takes you off-track," he said.

Respecting Every Opposition

When questioned about facing Zimbabwe, who were not expected to progress this far, Sammy replied, "Who said Zimbabwe is not supposed to be here? A lot of people say West Indies is not supposed to be here either. When you're in a World Cup, you've got to respect every opposition. That's what we've been doing; that's what I encourage my guys to do. Respect the opposition, but believe in yourself, believe in your processes and your execution. Tomorrow, we approach it the same way we would approach a game against India or Australia or whoever."

Team Cohesion Driving West Indies

The two-time T20 World Cup-winning captain highlighted the confidence and preparation of both teams, noting that the T20 format allows for unexpected results. He praised Zimbabwe’s leadership under Sikandar Raza and the impact of passionate fans on the team’s performance.

"It's the first time in a long time that we've had every single person that is available for West Indies playing. Just the way we've been building, the different players that we've tried heading into the World Cup, it's a conscious effort on each player to just pay a little bit more attention to the detail, the preparation, the planning," Sammy said.

"Plus, the guys believe they could do something special, that's what I saw and that's why I said it from the first press conference (that) I feel we could do something special."