On October 5, England and New Zealand will face off in Ahmedabad to begin the ODI World Cup 2023. With fewer than two months till the major event, the anticipation is great. Before competing in the famous world tournament, which India will solely host for the first time, teams are busy completing last preparations. Rashid Latif, a former Pakistani wicketkeeper and hitter, stated his worries regarding Asian World Cup teams. The 54-year-old was concerned that teams from the subcontinent would have trouble when a better strike rate is necessary in the middle overs. Other teams, like England, Australia, and New Zealand, will do better, in his opinion, since their batters can use creative strokeplay to lift the ante.
“The one area where I believe Asian nations will struggle to compete with these sides is notably in the middle overs, when even in 50 overs, a fast strike rate is necessary. Rashid Latif stated on the Cricket Baaz YouTube channel that the English, Australian, and New Zealand hitters had made reverse sweep and switch shots against the spinners into something very lethal today.
India’s frequent lineup changes prevent middle and lower order batsmen from settling in: Rashid Latif
Rashid Latif emphasized that India’s personnel changes in positions four through seven of the batting order are excessive. He thought that this might be bad for the team’s chances. He added that the fact that Virat Kohli isn’t the team’s captain might be the cause of the team’s lack of complete readiness for the major competition.
“The Indian team management has experimented with a number of players, and if I talk about their batting, say from 4 to 7, they just have not let any new player to settle down with their constant switching. India would already be fully prepared for the World Cup if Virat Kohli had been permitted to remain as captain, Rashid said.
The ‘Men in Blue’ meet the five-time winners Australia in Chennai on October 8 to start their World Cup campaign.