USA's Steven Taylor to Face Childhood Heroes West Indies in T20 World Cup Clash

USA opener Steven Taylor is set to face his childhood heroes, the West Indies, in a T20 World Cup 2024 clash on Friday night in Barbados. Taylor, born in Florida to Jamaican parents, will be singing David Rudder's "Rally Round The West Indies" as he lines up against the team he grew up supporting.

Despite being raised on America's south-east coast, Taylor's West Indian heritage has always been a strong part of his identity. He expressed his excitement at the prospect of playing against the West Indies, saying, "It will be a wonderful feeling. I'm representing my parents, my Jamaican heritage. At the end of the day, I might be born American, but I speak more Jamaican than I speak American sometimes."

Taylor's confidence stems from his belief that USA can beat West Indies. He recalled their close encounter in the 50-over World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe last year, where USA lost by just 39 runs. "We gave them a fight at the end of the day and we know that we have a chance of beating them once we play good cricket on the day," he said.

Taylor's familiarity with some of the West Indies players, including his former Barbados Tridents teammate Akeal Hosein, adds an extra layer of intrigue to the match. "He's a good friend of mine," Taylor said of Hosein. "I know most of his tricks so for sure I'll be hunting him, first ball."

Despite their opening defeat to South Africa in the Super Eight, Taylor remains optimistic about USA's chances. He praised Andries Gous' unbeaten 80 and the team's comeback with the ball. "I would say we're playing good cricket and the team is gelling well together," he said. "At the end of the day, we know that we're going to be the underdogs for all teams that we play against in the Super Eights. So, we're just here to play good cricket and if we go in, we win; if we lose, we lose."

Tags: #T20WorldCup2024, #USACricket, #WestIndiesCricket, #StevenTaylor, #AkealHosein