Irish win a lesson to all, says Darren Sammy

Updated on: 04 March,2011 07:04 AM IST |
AFP |

Ireland's sensational win over England showed no team could be taken lightly at the World Cup, West Indian captain Darren Sammy said yesterday

Ireland's sensational win over England showed no team could be taken lightly at the World Cup, West Indian captain Darren Sammy said yesterday.

"It's a lesson for all, you just can't take anyone for granted," Sammy said ahead of his team's crunch Group B match against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium today.

"I am not surprised Ireland won. Nothing has changed by that game. Every team came to the World Cup to win."

The unheralded Irish stunned England by three wickets in Bangalore on Wednesday after Kevin O'Brien smashed the fastest century in World Cup history off 50 balls to help his team race past a daunting target of 328.

The West Indies and Bangladesh, who are also placed in the same group as the Irish and have one win each from two games, must avoid defeat on Friday to keep their quarter-final hopes alive.

The West Indies have not played on Bangladeshi soil since 2002, with senior pros Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul the only survivors from that tour.

The last time the two teams played in 2009, Bangladesh swept to a 3-0 win over a depleted West Indies who were without their top players due to a pay dispute with their board.

Sammy said his team was not worried by either the lack of experience in Bangladeshi conditions or the partisan sell-out crowd of 25,000 that will back the hosts.

"When we play at home, we expect fans to support us, so of course the crowd will support Bangladesh here," the West Indian captain said.

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