WEST INDIES head coach Daren Sammy wants to end the competitive year with a welcomed One-Day International series victory over Bangladesh.
The first of three matches bowls off at Warner Park in St Kitts on December 8 and Sammy remains hellbent on notching their second consecutive ODI series win, having ousted England 2-1 in the Caribbean in early November.
The maroon boast a mixture of experienced and new players for this series, with three ODI debutants Amir Jangoo (TT), Marquinho Mindley (Jamaica), Jediah Blades (Barbados) and a returning Justin Greaves (Barbados) selected to the squad.
Mindley and Blades replaced Matthew Forde and Shamar Joseph, who both picked up injuries. Jangoo and Greaves, however, earned their Windies call-ups after an array of commanding batting performances during recently concluded the CG United Super50 Cup.
Shai Hope captains the team once more alongside the squad's leading wicket-taker this year Gudakesh Motie and in-form top-order batsman Keacy Carty.
Also among them are power-hitters Brandon King, Even Lewis and Shimron Hetmyer, with Roston Chase in the middle, and quicks Alzarri Joseph, Romario Shepherd and Jayden Seales who lead the bowling attack.
'The squad is a well-balanced squad,' Sammy said in the pre-match interview. 'We got some in-form players and some new and some who have been part of the setup for a while. I'm just hoping for us to go out there and put in some good performances that result in victories.
"The outlook is to win. However, we understand the opposition we're playing, one that we'll not take for granted. Again, I love to focus on what we can do and the things we have to do for us to be successful. I'm pretty sure we can go out and do that.'
Bangladesh, though, hold a trump card in head coach Phil Simmons, the maroon's immediate past head coach and former Windies and TT batsman.
Simmons's knowledge of Caribbean pitches and their players may have served as a crucial catalyst that guided the Tigers to a 1-1 Test series draw against the Windies on November 30.
Sammy is fully aware of Simmons' vast knowledge and experience of the game, and is gearing up for a tough challenge ahead.
'Phil is very experienced and he knows our conditions quite well. Some way, somehow, every time he goes and coaches other teams against the West Indies, he has a way of getting very competitive.
"We're not going to take that lightly as well. It's all about execution and focusing on us. I believe if we do us well, we will give ourselves a chance to win the series,' Sammy added.
The ex-Windies captain Sammy reiterated the importance of his team sticking to the plan and maintaining a winning mentality.
'What I've always stressed with the guys is the way you prepare, the way you go out and play and what you put in is what you get out. We shall respect the game, respect the opposition. However, we're not here to compete, we're here to win. That's the mentality we've shown over the last year and we're going to continue that.'
This will be the fi
