Sebastien warns of 'dangerous' Windwards

ROSEAU, Dominica (CMC):

Windward Islands manager Lockhart Sebastien has warned rivals that his side is fit and focused and will be difficult to beat in the upcoming Caribbean Twenty20 Championship.

The Windwards were not a factor in the inaugural CT20 last July, as they crashed out of the tournament after losing two of their three matches and having the last one rained out.

"Most people will tell you that the Windward Islands is a dangerous team," Sebastien said.

"The last time that we played in July we were short-changed in that we had a few injuries, especially (Darren) Sammy, who was suffering from a hamstring injury.

"Devon Smith also was not 100 per cent fit. But now, I think that we have a full team, despite the fact that we have lost a few experienced players in the persons of Shane Shillingford, unfortunately, Rawle Lewis and Deighton Butler.

"I still think that we have a good mix, a good all-round team and I expect the team to do well in the competition."

The Windwards, however, were outstanding in the WICB one-day championship last November, playing unbeaten to reach the semi-finals before losing.

Led by West Indies captain Darren Sammy, the Windwards will face a tough Group A campaign in the January 10-23 CT20, pitted against the likes of defending champions Guyana, powerhouses Jamaica, Combined Campuses and Colleges and English County Somerset.

They are set to complete their preparation when they clash with Leeward Islands in practice matches today and tomorrow, fixtures Sebastien said would be crucial.

"We will be playing the Leeward Islands on Thursday evening from 4 p.m., because as you may be aware, we are playing the first game of the competition," he noted.

"We also play another practice match on Friday evening as well. So we are playing two matches against the Leeward Islands. This will provide good practice for both teams ahead of the tournament."