Indian actor Amol Palekar feels New Zealand were 'correct winners' of 2019 World Cup final
Veteran Indian actor Amol Palekar said that New Zealand were the true winners in last year’s World Cup final at Lord’s and that hosts England should have been magnanimous enough to share the trophy.
Amol Palekar commented on that manic final in an exclusive chat with Indranil Basu on Sportskeeda's Facebook page.
“That [Martin Guptill’s run-out in the tied Super Over] is the height of not only entertainment, [but] tension, suspense, everything...I genuinely believe even today that NZ were the correct winners. And, I also felt England should have had the magnanimity to say, ‘Let’s share this Cup’,” Amol Palekar said.
Mr. Amol Palekar further reasoned that England didn’t want to let go of the opportunity to win their maiden World Cup because such a chance might not come ever again.
Chasing 241 in the final last June, Ben Stokes (84* off 98 balls) almost single-handedly powered England to the exact same total, before the 15-run Super Over also ended in a tie.
England, however, were declared eventual winners on the basis of the boundary count. Eoin Morgan’s England had hit 26 boundaries as opposed to Kane Williamson-led Kiwis' 17.
Hats off to Kane Williamson: Amol Palekar
Talking about the New Zealand skipper, Mr. Amol Palekar heaped praise on the dignity with which Williamson goes about his game. Kane Williamson, who had scored 578 runs in 9 games, was adjudged Player of the Tournament, becoming only the second skipper after Martin Crowe in 1992 to achieve the feat.
“No tantrums, no show off, no showing of emotions, nothing, just play in a dignified matter. And, that’s what he did and hats off to him,” Mr. Palekar exclaimed.
Amol Palekar, an avid lover of cricket, had gone to England just to watch the World Cup. He even expressed pleasure in having had a chat with Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Kris Srikanth during the course of the tounament.
But, having a brief conversation with two-time World Cup-winning skipper of the West Indies, Clive Llyod, was indeed a dream come true for the Filmfare Award winner.