Former West
Indies captain Darren Sammy has backed Kieron Pollard and his side to put up a
tough challenge in the upcoming white-ball series against India in February.
India will host the Caribbean side for three ODIs and as many T20Is, starting with
the One Days on February 6. All three ODIs will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium
in Ahmedabad, while all three T20Is will be played at the Eden Gardens in
Kolkata.

Sammy, the
only captain to win two T20 World Cups, said the West Indies should “fancy
their chances” and that Pollard’s experience of the conditions in India should
help his side upset the hosts.

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“I believe
Pollard will definitely fancy his chances. He has been playing in India for so
long, he knows the conditions well,” Sammy told PTI on the sidelines of the
Legends League Cricket in Muscat. “At the England series, we have unearthed
some new talents. I think West Indies could go out there (India) and do well,”
he added.

The Windies
are still recovering from the shock of a torrid T20 World Cup campaign in the
UAE last year, where they finished fifth in the Super 12 Group 1, winning just one
of their five games. The tournament marked the end of an era as it was the last
time seasoned veterans like Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo represented the
side at a World Cup.

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The Windies
were then whitewashed in their three-match T20I series against Pakistan, before losing 2-1 to Ireland in ODIs. However, the Caribbean side have bounced back and taken a 2-1 lead against England in the ongoing five-match T20I series. 

India, on the other hand, will look to get back to winning ways after a disappointing tour of South Africa, where they bottled a lead to lost the three-match Test series 2-1. The Proteas then completed a clean sweep of the three-match ODI series, as KL Rahul became the first Indian captain to lose his first three ODIs as skipper. 

However, with Rohit Sharma back in the squad, India will be expected to fare much better at home.

Sammy also agreed with India’s prowess at home, saying, “India have always been strong at home, they are a force to reckon with because of some really good one-day players”.