English all-rounder Ravi Bopara claims the current Indian pace bowling attack is the best Indian pace bowling attack that he has ever seen.
Though the no.1 Indian cricket team lost the five-match Test series against the hosts England by the 1-4 margins, Bopara felt that the Indian cricket team played much well and the matches were closer than the series result.
Bopara told The Hindu, “India played rather well and it wasn’t a 4-1 series; it was much closer. And I was really impressed by India’s pace bowlers. They were brilliant; the best of Indian seamers that I have seen in the 27 years that I have been following cricket. And Bhuvneshwar Kumar didn’t even play.”
Ravi Bopara is now busy to play the ongoing inaugural Afghanistan Premier League (APL) as he is representing Balkh Legends.
Talking about the APL opportunity, Bopara quoted, “It has come at the right time for me, as there is no cricket in England at the moment. I decided to play here also because I wanted to play for different oppositions.”
Talking about the new league, Bopara feels it is very important for Afghanistan cricket as it will help them to grow up as the challenging team, especially in the ODI format. While the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup has been scheduled to be hosted by India, Bopara believes Afghanistan can be a strong contender in that tournament. He also believes that Afghanistan can do well in the upcoming 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup in England but the conditions can be the challenging factor for them.
Bopara said about Afghanistan cricket team, “They could do well in England, too, but they might find the conditions a bit difficult. In the World Cup after that, however, they could be fantastic. They already have some quality players like Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who could walk into most international sides.”
When Bopara was asked whether APL would be a success in Afghanistan cricket to bring up some talented youngsters, the English all-rounder gave a positive answer.
He replied, “It has happened everywhere, be it in the IPL, PSL or the Big Bash. So Afghanistan too will find some young superstars.”
The all-rounder Bopara has played 13 Tests, 120 ODIs and 38 T20Is for England national cricket team. The 33-year-old still hopes to return to the national squad, who played his last international cricket match in March 2015.
Bopara said, “I am only 33 and have just finished a good County season with the bat for Essex. I will keep trying.”
