Cricket

Legendary West Indian fast bowler Curtly Ambrose, renowned for his intimidating pace and bounce, has expressed his admiration for three contemporary batsmen: Virat Kohli, Steven Smith, and Joe Root. Ambrose, who terrorized batsmen during his illustrious career, believes these players possess exceptional skills and would have been formidable opponents.Ambrose's illustrious career spanned 98 Test matches, during which he claimed 405 wickets. His overall international tally stands at 630 wickets, solidifying his status as one of cricket's most feared bowlers. Despite the dominance of batsmen in modern cricket, Ambrose remains concerned about the lack of recognition given to bowlers."Yes, I feel so sometimes," Ambrose said. "I have been in cricket for so long. Most of the time, if you ask someone their favorite cricketer, they would name a batter. I have played some great matches with them, and I admire them. But as a former fast bowler, I will lean towards the bowlers."Ambrose's admiration for Pakistan's Wasim Akram, another legendary fast bowler, is evident. He believes Akram's exceptional skills and longevity make him one of the greatest bowlers of all time.Ambrose also shared his wisdom with aspiring cricketers, emphasizing the importance of developing skills and playing red-ball cricket. "I would like to advise them (youngsters) to work on their skill-set and play more red-ball cricket," he said. "It is easier to transform your red-ball game and form into T20s. Most of the players doing well in T20s have played red-ball cricket and understand batsmanship."Ambrose's advice highlights the fundamental importance of mastering the traditional format of the game. By honing their skills in red-ball cricket, young players can develop a solid foundation that will enable them to succeed in all formats of the sport.

Curtly Ambrose, the legendary fast bowler, holds Jasprit Bumrah in high regard, despite the Indian spearhead's history of stress fractures. Ambrose believes that Bumrah's unorthodox action should remain unchanged, maintaining that all fast bowlers face the risk of injury when they step onto the field."I'm a big fan of Jasprit Bumrah," said Ambrose in an interview with PTI. "He's so unconventional but highly effective, and that's what I like about him. When you look at traditional fast bowlers, you wouldn't look at Bumrah, he's so unorthodox."At 30 years old, Bumrah possesses the ability to take wickets at any stage of a limited-over match. In Test cricket, he is equally effective with both the new and old ball, particularly when the ball starts to reverse swing. Widely considered the best all-format pacer in the game currently, Bumrah has encountered his share of back issues and underwent surgery in March of the previous year. Following an extensive rehabilitation period, he made his comeback prior to the ODI World Cup in India in November and has been in top form since then.Ambrose emphasized that Bumrah should maintain his current approach and technique, making no alterations to his bowling style. "He has done a great job for India and still doing a great job in all formats," said Ambrose. "He's someone I've always enjoyed watching because he's so different."Bumrah's unique bowling action, with his chest open at the point of delivery, can potentially put extra strain on his back. However, Ambrose believes that every pace bowler has to cope with certain risks associated with their craft. "From my little experience, there are no two bowlers who are exactly alike," said Ambrose. "In terms of his longevity, in terms of injuries, (for) every fast bowler, there is always risk of being injured. But at the same time you can't go out there thinking that wa."Ambrose, a towering figure at 6 feet 7 inches, consistently challenged the world's elite batsmen with his ability to generate extra bounce. However, he doesn't attribute the strain on Bumrah's back solely to his bowling action. "I've never been through it (stress fracture)," said Ambrose. "So it would be unfair for me to even try to say what to do. I will leave that for the medical expert. I don't think Bumrah's stress comes totally from his action."Ambrose also expressed concern about the increasing workload on players due to the packed global cricket schedule. "Too much cricket is being played as well," he said. "Players are leaving from one series to the next, there is franchise cricket as well. Guys could get burnt out."Despite the challenges, Ambrose believes that Test cricket remains the pinnacle of the sport. "I've always preferred Test match cricket over anything else," he said. "I believe at the end of a career, if you've been judged, if you want to become a legend, you have to play Test cricket. You would not become a legend playing ODIs or T20s."Ambrose concluded by expressing his admiration for the current generation of players, including Virat Kohli. "To dismiss them gives me more pleasure than dismissing numbers 9, 10, 11," he said. "You talk about these guys, they are great players (Kohli & Co). It would be nice to play against them but having said that, I've played against some greats in my time as well."

Legendary fast-bowler Curtly Ambrose believes the Rovman Powell-led co-hosts West Indies have a formidable squad capable of capturing an unprecedented third ICC Men's T20 World Cup title when the tournament commences on June 1.West Indies have etched their name in history as two-time T20 World Cup champions, triumphing in 2012 and 2016. However, their recent performances in the tournament have been lackluster. In 2021, under Kieron Pollard's leadership, they failed to advance to the knockout stage, winning only one match in the group phase.A year later, with Nicholas Pooran at the helm in Australia, they were unable to qualify for the Super ten stage. West Indies also missed out on the 2023 Men's ODI World Cup in India after failing to secure a top-two finish in the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe.Despite these setbacks, West Indies have shown encouraging form in T20Is, registering series victories over South Africa, India, and England at home in the past 14 months. Ambrose believes this recent success bodes well for their chances in the upcoming World Cup."We have a very, very good team," Ambrose said. "As we speak, they 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."West Indies are placed in Group C of the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup and will face Papua New Guinea in their opening match in Guyana on June 2. They will then play against Uganda, New Zealand, and Afghanistan in their remaining group stage games.Ambrose anticipates some unexpected results at the upcoming tournament due to the abundance of talented players across all teams. "I admire a lot of cricketers (at the T20 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 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."