Sir Andy throws support behind T20 World Cup

ST JOHN'S, Antigua,( CMC):

West Indies fast bowling legend Sir Andy Roberts joined scores of cricket fans on the streets of the capital city last weekend in a promotional drive to get fans upbeat ahead of the ICC Women's Twenty20 World Cup next month.

The two-time 50-overs World Cup winner, who was recently unveiled as an ambassador for Cricket West Indies, used the time to interact with fans and handed out event memorabilia.

He also posed for photos and presented match tickets to a few lucky prize winners.

"I was asked, and I graciously accepted, the invitation to join the CWI programme because of my love for cricket," the cricket icon said.

"I will do whatever I can for West Indies cricket, and this is my small contribution to the women's game, which we can all see is growing all around the world, and we are seeing evidence of that growth here in our region," he said.

Sir Andy is one of three former West Indies players who have been chosen by CWI to help promote the November 9-24 event, with two-time World Cup-winning captain Darren Sammy and legendary left-hander Shiv Chanderpaul also involved.

In the build-up to the tournament, Sir Andy is expected to participate in other community outreach activities. The next major activity is expected to be the launch of ticket sales at box offices on Monday, October 29.

"I am hoping that the people of Antigua come out in their numbers. I would love to see our Windies team reach the semi-finals and move on from there. That would definitely help to boost the numbers for the matches here in Antigua."

This is the first time the Women's T20 World Cup is being staged as a stand-alone event.

The preliminary rounds are scheduled to run from November 9-18 at the Guyana National Stadium, Guyana, and the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia.

The semi-finals and final will be played at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua.

West Indies, who are defending champions, headline Group A along with England, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, while Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Ireland comprise Group B.