Ambrose: WI can win third T20 title

NEW YORK CITY (CMC):

Iconic fast bowler Sir Curtly Ambrose says 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 fast bowler 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,” he 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.”

West Indies are one of the two sides that have won the title twice (England are 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,” Ambrose 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.

Ambrose said he expects that there could be a few upsets during the tournament – he hopes none involve West Indies – because 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.