MUMBAI – A respected former international captain has picked West Indies among the favourities to win the ICC World Twenty20.
Sourav Ganguly, who led India between 1999 and 2005, said a swashbuckling West Indies and a talented Pakistan would pose the biggest threats to India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s dream of lifting his second Twenty20 world title.
Under Dhoni, India won the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007 and lifted the 50-over World Cup on home soil last year.
Boasting a side packed with exciting stroke-makers, India will head to Sri Lanka for the September 18 to October 7 tournament as one of the favourites but Ganguly was wary of the West Indies’ skills in the shortest form of the sport.
“They are a powerhouse,” Ganguly, who will be part of the commentary team in Sri Lanka, told reporters yesterday.
“Guys like Chris Gayle, (Kieron) Pollard, Dwayne Smith, Andre Russell, and they got (off-spinner) Sunil Narine. He can be a match-winner.
“They also have a good fast bowling attack with Fidel Edwards bowling at 90 miles an hour,” Ganguly added as former India player Sanjay Manjrekar, sitting next to him, nodded in approval.
“West Indies [are] a strong Twenty20 team because they have got the best four Twenty20 players in the world,” said Manjrekar. (Reuters/HG)
