As West Indies get ready to take on England in the third and final Test of the series, hosts’ pacer Shannon Gabriel has promised complete commitment from the side in their quest to complete a 3-0 whitewash.
The hosts lead the three-match series 2-0 after emphatic victories in Barbados and Antigua and will now take on the visitors in the final Test which begins at St. Lucia on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters on the eve of the clash, Gabriel said, “This series win a great achievement for us. Thinking back about last year when we lost 0-2 in Bangladesh, we were all hurting. Thankfully, we stuck together and we came out and showcased our talents. And to show some improvement. This series win has been great and I’m really pleased to be part of it.”
“We have great confidence and we are definitely looking to make it 3-0. We’re not just going for the win, we’re also playing for the people of the Caribbean and we are also playing for points to move up the Test rankings,” added the pacer.
Gabriel picked up a 13-wicket haul at the same venue last year.
The third Test will see Gabriel return to venue where he finished with match figures of 13-121 against Sri Lanka last year. Those are the third best match figures ever recorded in West Indies cricket history and the 30-year-old is looking to do more of the same against the Englishmen.
“This ground has been good to me I’ve had some good times on this ground where I bowled well and got wickets. I suits my style of fast bowling and I did well last year when we played against Sri Lanka. It’s a fast pitch with some bounce, so I’m expecting the same kind of pitch here again this year,” said Gabriel.
The Windies pacer has so far captured five wickets in the two Tests so far and has recently climbed to No11 in the ICC Test rankings for bowlers.