Tauqir: West Indies will be under pressure

UAE skipper Mohammad Tauqir believes West Indies will be under pressure to qualify for the quarter-finals and that gives his team a chance to upset them ahead of their final league game in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup. Both teams square off in Napier on Sunday and it is a must-win game for West Indies.

Jason Holder's side has four points from five games and a win will take them to six points. With Ireland also on six points, West Indies will be hoping that Pakistan defeat Ireland as the Irish have a weaker net run-rate than the West Indies. "They're not playing as consistent cricket as they should be and I think they'll be under pressure of chasing the run rate. I think it gives us an opportunity to play freely and express ourselves either batting or bowling," Tauqir said.

UAE have lost all five of their league games but Tauqir said his side was more interested in how the side played the game. "We started the tournament well, the two games against Zimbabwe and Ireland. I think we had one bad game against India, but I would say even two games against Pakistan and South Africa was a decent performance from our side. We're still looking forward to tomorrow's game and end it on a high," he said.

However, this crucial game in Napier is under threat from Cyclone Pam. According to a report in the CMC, the category five storm is expected to bring torrential rains. According to meteorological officials, Napier could begin to feel its effects before, with the forecast for Sunday showing cloudy weather and possible showers.

Team manager Richie Richardson said the West Indies will be keeping their fingers crossed for good weather. "We have to play the game to give ourselves a chance, so we want sunshine. We need two points badly and we need it big."

Richardson said if the West Indies qualify for the quarter-finals, they would have a good chance. "We can beat anybody in this competition, but Ive said at the start of the tournament that I hope we dont peak too early. We still have a sniff, but we need to back ourselves. We know that, given a chance, we can beat anybody. Once we get past this hurdle of UAE, then anything is possible," he said.