Former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop has expressed his belief that if Sunil Narine is available and selected, he would “walk straight into the West Indies team” for the T20 World Cup. Narine, who announced his international retirement in November 2023, has been in superb form for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the ongoing IPL 2024 season.
Bishop’s comments come amidst speculation about Narine’s potential inclusion in the West Indies squad for the T20 World Cup, scheduled to begin in June in the USA and the West Indies. West Indies T20 skipper Rovman Powell recently revealed that he has been trying to convince Narine to reconsider his decision to retire from international cricket.
Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s Timed Out show, Bishop emphasized Narine’s bowling prowess and stated, “I don’t know where Narine stands over the course of the last few years. We have never understood whether it is Narine’s decision that he doesn’t want to play for the West Indies or if there is another factor that the selectors haven’t picked him. But I can say is that once he is comfortable, the way that he has bowled only, isolating his bowling, he can be an asset once he stands up to scrutiny for the West Indies team.”
Bishop also praised Narine’s batting, which has been surprisingly consistent in the current IPL season. Narine recently scored a blistering 109 off 56 deliveries against the Rajasthan Royals, showcasing his all-round abilities. With the ball, he has taken seven wickets in six matches at an economy rate of 6.88.
Reflecting on Narine’s potential inclusion in the T20 World Cup squad, Bishop concluded, “Straightaway, if he is available and he is selected, he walks straight into the team. He has nothing to prove, he has proven himself in the past 15 years or a decade. If Narine is available, I think that he can only benefit the team.”
Narine will be back in action for KKR against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
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