NEW DELHI, MAY 21,
Part of the 2003 World Cup-winning Australian team, allrounder Andy Bichel believes player bonding would be crucial for any team hoping to lift the 2019 edition, with India clearly among the favourites to do so on July 14.
While asserting that the Indian pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar would be crucial in India’s campaign, Bichel credited the Virat Kohli-M.S. Dhoni combination for changing the mindset and successfully chasing big totals in recent times.
Calming influence
“Taking nothing away from Sachin Tendulkar, I think Kohli has changed the mindset and fulfilled the role of being a finisher and being there in the end during big chases. “A lot of the credit has to go to the calming influence of Dhoni and his ability to hit a boundary when he needs it to a certain part of the field,” Bichel said during a promotional event in New Delhi on Monday.Asked about key players in other teams that go into the tournament as favourites, Bichel picked Jos Buttler among others. “In the Australian team, Alex Carey and Marcus Stoinis are good talents but they are still learning. Jos Buttler comes to mind and David Miller of South Africa are going to be really crucial for their teams,” he added. He did express concern at managing the workload for Indin pacers. “At some point Bumrah’s going to have to be rested before the big day on July 14. Bhuvi is priceless in these conditions and Shami has really surprised me with his ability to keep going, bowling at 140kphs,” he said.
Bichel has been roped in as an expert panellist for Power Sportz, a live digital sports channel, along with Jeff Thomson, Kepler Wessels and Gary Cosier, among others.
