The Indian Cricket Team is currently in the United States of America for a 2-match Twenty-20 series against the West Indies after a thumping 2-0 victory in the Test series against the same opposition. Indian coach Anil Kumble expressed surprise with the facilities at the Central Broward Regional Park in Florida, the venue for both the 20-over matches.
Though the ‘Men in Blue’ had a fair advantage over the hosts in the longer version, the squad is very evenly poised in this format. West Indies being the T20 World Champions earlier this year is definitely a force to reckon with. With big names like Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, and Andre Russell who did not feature in the Tests will be back for the T20s, which makes the job even more difficult for Dhoni and Co.
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Kumble also full of praise for both the practice pitches as well as the outfield:
"I certainly didn't expect the facilities to be as good as what it is in the United States. I certainly felt that it could be a makeshift. I had heard about Florida and this ground, but very impressed with the facilities that we have seen today. It's the first time that I'm seeing this ground and the wickets are good, ideal probably for a T20, and the practice facilities have been good, the outfield looks fantastic. So all in all, really impressed with the facilities here.“.
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The series in a neutral venue was fixed by the BCCI in order to popularise the game in the North American region. West Indies have a fair idea about the ground as they have played here before during a T20 series against New Zealand back in 2012. ‘Jumbo’ feels that playing in a neutral country like the USA is good for the game of cricket. As per the reports of the ESPN Cricinfo, he said, "It's a wonderful initiative and we are really looking forward to our matches here, it's going to be a sell-out. We know US…the expats and the huge Indian diaspora who are wanting for quality cricket to come to the US. We have played in the past in the West Indies and a lot of Indians come over from the US to watch us”
This is not the first time that the stadium in Florida is hosting an International cricket match back in 2010, a 2-match T20 series between New Zealand and Sri Lanka was staged at the Central Broward Regional Park.
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