Former Zimbabwe great Andy Flower thinks India are serious contender to win WC 2019
Flower praised Kohli’s captaincy, adding that he too has added a lot of confidence and aggression to his team.
Former Zimbabwe captain Andy Flower has backed Team India as a serious contender to win the ICC World Cup to be held in England and Wales in May-July 2019. The legendary cricketer said Virat Kohli’s side is playing aggressive cricket at the moment and their record in the mega event makes them a strong contender to lift the cup at the Lord’s on July 14 when the final will be played.
Flower, who is still remembered for playing the 2003 World Cup in his own country with black armband on to protest the regime of the day and ended his career with the tournament, lauded the Men in Blue’s consistency and consistency and also conceded that a huge fan following also makes them favourites to win the title in England. India have won the tournament twice – in 1983 and 2011 – which make them the joint second-most winner of the title with the Windies. Defending world champions Australia have won the title most number of times – five.
Speaking to Sportstar on Thursday, the 50-year-old who is arguably Zimbabwe’s best batsman produced till date said: “Without a doubt, they (India) are serious contenders. They play good aggressive cricket and they will have a good following in the World Cup. It may be held in England. But we know their matches will have a lot of Indian supporters and they won’t feel like being away from home. And India has a good record playing in tournaments in the past.”
IPL has helped Indian cricket grow, feels Flower
He also gave credit to the Indian Premier League saying the T20 tournament has made Indian cricketers a confident lot and pushed their growth and development forward beside the fact that India has progressed as a nation and economy.
“There are a couple of differences. Firstly Indian cricket is generally more confident now. Part of the confidence has come from the growth of India as a nation and as global economy. Secondly, the IPL has given Indian cricket a lot of confidence. It has given some of the younger players a lot of confidence because they [play] in front of big crowds and with and against some of the best international players and it breaks down the barriers of myth that exist in cricket scene,” the former left-hand batsman said.
Flower, who also made his debut in a World Cup (1992) and started with a hundred, praised Kohli’s captaincy, adding that he too has added a lot of confidence and aggression to his team. He also mentioned about fitter Indian cricketers and stronger Indian teams playing on the international stage.
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