West Indies' T20 World Cup Campaign Ends with Defeat, but Powell Praises Progress

West Indies' T20 World Cup 2024 campaign ended in disappointment with a defeat to South Africa in Antigua, but captain Rovman Powell remained upbeat about the team's progress over the past year.

"We haven't won the World Cup, but the cricket we have played in the last 12 months or so is commendable," Powell said. "We've moved from number 9 to number 3 in the world, which is tremendous work."

Powell acknowledged that the team's batting performance against South Africa was one they would like to forget, but he praised their bowling effort. "We lost wickets in clusters in the middle overs, which broke the back of our batting," he said. "But our bowlers gave it their all, and we believed we could win even with only 135 on the board."

Despite the defeat, Powell believes the team is heading in the right direction. "There's a lot of buzz around the Caribbean again about West Indies cricket," he said. "We've done some very good things over the last 12 months, and we need to continue to work as a group and climb the rankings."

Powell also expressed his gratitude for the support the team received during the home World Cup. "It's been fantastic," he said. "It's good to see that some buzz is back in the Caribbean for cricket. Now, when we hear the anthem play, as players we feel something. I think that is heading in the right direction."

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