Despite the nature of their defeat in Kolkata, it was a positive tournament overall for England but understandably Stokes has gained most of the headlines for failing to limit the big-hitting Brathwaite. “But I just want to say being around these guys, that everything we do on and off the field is for the betterment of West Indies, not just the team but also cricket and the region in general”. Fall this way for one result, the other for an entirely different outcome.
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The West Indies celebrating their second World T20 triumph.
They have showed this in the just ended competition in India.
The disconnect between the West Indies team and board has been a running issue in recent years and a WICB statement after the match announced plans to meet with the team to resolve the issue.
The 27-year-old from Barbados, who eventually ended with an unbeaten 34, shared a crucial partnership with Marlon Samuels, who played a series of fluent shots on his way to finishing 85 not out, the highest-ever score in a World Twenty20 final. It remains a fickle format as was often pronounced through the tournament by a number of captains.
“There’s no point trying to forget about it straight away, you try to learn a little bit of how you’ve felt and what you’d do differently for hopefully the next time you’re in that position”.
“Once the franchises are interested and once Test cricket or global cricket [schedules] allow, then I’m available”. Eoin Morgan’s diminutive England, rank underachievers in the limited-overs cricket, were set to gatecrash the West Indies party.
West Indies was 54 for three in 10 overs at its half way mark and staring at a required rate of 10.
The ICC World T20 Championship is finally drawing to a close and there are expectations of a lot of firepower to go into this battle royale.
Medium pacer Dwayne Bravo also picked up three for 37, while leg-spinner Samuel Badree claimed two for 16.
Both teams, who have lifted the World T 20 trophy on one occasion each – England in 2010 and West Indies in 2012 – will now fight it out for the coveted title at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata today. Samuels bragged about it, telling Brathwaite to stay still because he knew Stokes would miss his lengths a couple of times.
Could any other team have done as they did, in choosing not to play their two widely lauded bowlers at all, because they did not fit into that strategy? Apart from semi-final against New Zealand, the batting and bowling failed to fire in the same match. “It would have been too hard to give him a single and expect him to do it all”.
Neither takes a backseat to anyone one in his ability to find the boundary. His side came into the match with 171 fewer T20 caps than the West Indies, and had an average of 26.7 compared to their opponents’ 31.
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Meanwhile, West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels was fined 30 per cent of his match fee for using abusive and offensive language directed at England all-rounder Ben Stokes.
