'Play what's in front of you': West Indies coach defends Super 8 pre-seeding amid debate

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy on Sunday mounted a robust defence of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup’s pre-seeding system, arguing that the controversial format has spurred unfancied sides such as Zimbabwe to exceed expectations and that logistical certainty for travelling supporters outweighs the criticism.

Speaking ahead of the hosts’ Super Eight meeting with Zimbabwe at the tournament, Sammy acknowledged widespread debate over the practice of locking teams into specific Super Eight groups before the group stage concludes, but insisted the arrangement serves both fans and lower-ranked competitors.

“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 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 topped Group B ahead of former champions Sri Lanka and sent 2021 winners Australia crashing out, results that have been held up by critics of pre-seeding as evidence that the system can produce lopsided paths for higher-profile sides. Sammy countered that such upsets illustrate the motivational value of the draw.

“Zimbabwe did what they had to do. If we were not seeded or so, and I saw this person is going to play there, that gives me motivation,” he said. “I’m pretty sure Zimbabwe, looking at that group, gave them motivation and inspiration to come out and play the way they played.”

The two-time T20 World Cup-winning captain said his squad has adopted a one-match-at-a-time mentality regardless of opponents’ reputations. West Indies enter the second phase alongside Zimbabwe, South Africa and India, the latter pair having contested the previous final.

“We’ve got Zimbabwe tomorrow, we’ve got South Africa and then India. We’ve got the finalists of the last World Cup. If you’re going to win, you’ve got to play what’s in front of you,” Sammy said. “Not take it for granted, not take anybody lightly. If you start to bring in other factors, it takes you off-track.”

Asked whether Zimbabwe deserve their place among the last eight, Sammy rejected any suggestion of an easier route. “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.”

He praised Zimbabwe’s leadership under Sikandar Raza, noting the side’s confidence after missing the previous edition. “T20 is a format that brings teams closer together. There’s no clear-cut winner. These guys have played well. Zimbabwe, missing out on the last World Cup, they are led well. Sikandar Raza is very confident. He leads by example.”

Sammy added that sparse but vocal Zimbabwean support has amplified the team’s energy. “They’ve got six fans in the stands that sound like one million. There are a lot of things going for them. I could understand from that standpoint, where nobody gives you a chance and how you could use that as inspiration.”

With the Super Eight phase set to intensify, the West Indies coach reiterated that pre-seeding is a secondary concern once the first ball is bowled. “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.”

West Indies, Zimbabwe, South Africa and India now comprise Group 2, where every fixture carries knockout weight and, according to Sammy, no side can rely on reputation alone.