Iconic fast bowler, Sir Curtly Ambrose said West Indies have enough firepower to win an unprecedented third ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup when they co-host the tournament next month with the United States.
The former West Indies bowling coach said recent results against powerhouses South Africa, India, and England under the captaincy of Rovman Powell have raised his optimism about the team’s chance of success.
“We have a very, very good team,” Sir Curtly said during the launch of the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium earlier this week in the United States.
“As we speak, they (West Indies) are in Antigua at a camp preparing themselves for the start of the T20 World Cup which is a couple of weeks away. I believe once the guys start playing consistent cricket and smart cricket, I believe we can take the trophy.”
Sir Curtly was West Indies’ bowling coach when they captured the T20 title in 2016 and has spent three years as assistant coach of the Combined Campuses and Colleges in Caribbean regional cricket.
West Indies is one of two sides that has won the title twice (England is the other), and they will need to overturn poor form at recent ICC tournaments to fulfil the prediction made by Ambrose.
They did not make it out of the first round of the past two T20I World Cups – in 2021 in Oman and the United Arab Emirates and two years ago in Australia – and failed to qualify for last year’s ICC Men’s One-Day International Cricket World Cup in India.
“It’s not going to be easy, but we are one of only two nations to have won it twice, so we are going to try and make it three,” Sir Curtly added.
“And no other nation has ever won it on home soil, so all that is motivation for the guys to do well, and I am hoping they can do it.”
West Indies are part of Group C in the World Cup and face Papua New Guinea, Uganda, New Zealand, and Afghanistan.
Sir Curtly said he while expects that there could be a few upsets during the tournament, he hopes none involve West Indies as every side has plenty of talented players at their disposal.
“I admire a lot of cricketers (at the T20I World Cup), and I am looking forward to them doing well,” he said. “As a proud Antiguan and being from the West Indies, I want the West Indies to win.
“It’s not going to be easy because in T20 cricket every team has an equal chance of beating any other team and that is just the nature of T20 cricket. It’s going to be exciting, but I am going to be rooting for West Indies.” (CMC)
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