Nassau County International Cricket Stadium: Legendary fast-bowler Curtly Ambrose believes the Rovman Powell-led co-hosts West Indies have enough talent to win an unmatched third ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title when the competition begins from June 1.
West Indies have won the Men’s T20 World Cup twice in 2012 and 2016 respectively. But they have had an underwhelming run in the last two editions of the showpiece event. In 2021, Kieron Pollard-led West Indies failed to enter the knockouts after winning just one game in the group phase.
A year later, under Nicholas Pooran’s leadership in Australia, they couldn’t enter the Super ten stage. West Indies also missed out on qualifying for the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup in India after failing to be the top two teams in the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe.
But in T20Is, West Indies recent form has been encouraging, by registering series wins over South Africa, India, and England in the last 14 months at home. “We have a very, very good team. As we speak they (West Indies players) 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. It is 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. 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,” Ambrose was quoted as saying by ICC at the launch of the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York earlier this week.
The West Indies are placed in Group C of the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup and face Papua New Guinea in their opening match in Guyana on June 2, before playing against Uganda, New Zealand and Afghanistan in rest of their group stage games.
Ambrose added that he expects to see some upsets at the upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup due to the wealth of talented players at the disposal of every team. “I admire a lot of cricketers (at the T20 World Cup) and I am looking forward to them doing well. As a proud Antiguan and being from the West Indies, I want the West Indies to win.”
“It is 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 is going to be exciting, but I am going to be rooting for the West Indies.”
