LAHORE: Former Pakistan cricketer Salman Butt feels that the Team India’s defeat to the hosts West Indies in a recently-concluded five-match series will certainly have an impact on their confidence in the lead-up to the upcoming major tournaments, including the Asia Cup and the World Cup.
“It doesn’t matter what the format is or who the opposition is. Winning does boost the side’s confidence for their next assignment. Similarly, a defeat like this will surely dent India’s confidence,” Salman Butt said in his YouTube show.
“You might not see it in the interviews, but you will see it in the body language and decision-making.”
The West Indies have broken a six-year drought by defeating India by eight wickets in the fifth and final T20I in Florida on Sunday to clinch the five-game series in style.
Opener Brandon King (85*) and Player of the Series Nicholas Pooran (47) were the stars of the show as the West Indies successfully chased down India’s total of 165/9 with two overs remaining to ensure the Caribbean side registered the 3-2 series triumph.
It was the West Indies first T20I series victory over India since 2017, while the loss broke India’s streak of 12 consecutive unbeaten bilateral series as the Asian side fell to their first series defeat in men’s T20Is in more than two years.
India travelled to the West Indies with youngsters in the T20I squad. And Butt said they did not translate their potential into performances.
“Many would say that it was a T20I series, and several of India’s top players were missing. But at the same time, this is India’s normal practice. It wasn’t the first time that a young side was picked. It also wasn’t that West Indies are a very big team, and it was very difficult for India to beat them,” he added.
