DHAKA - Combative all-rounder James Faulkner has set the tone for an explosive return to international cricket, saying he dislikes the West Indies team and can't wait to knock it out of the Twenty20 World Cup.
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The 23-year-old Tasmanian will, in all likelihood, make his comeback from a knee injury in Australia's crucial clash with defending champions the West Indies tomorrow night, which could decide the fate of each team's progression in the tournament.
Faulkner's volatile history with the West Indies dates back to his debut one-day international series, where he gave masterblaster Chris Gayle an expletive-laden send off after rattling his stumps at Manuka Oval last year.
He was fined 10 per cent of his match fee by the ICC but he has no intention of backing down if the pair come face-to-face this week.
``I don't particularly like them,'' Faulkner said of Australia's next opponent.
``Good players are good players. You have to do things to get under their skin and try and irritate them to try and get them off their game.
``Players do that to me and I do it to other players. It's a fact of the game.
``A lot of it is played in your mind. If you can do something to upset somebody and upset their team, it goes a long way towards doing well as a group.''
Having lost its opening clash to Pakistan on Sunday, Australia is now walking a tricky path to the knockout stages of the tournament.
A loss to the Calypso Kings would almost certainly end its bid for a maiden T20 World Cup title in the group stages.