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The 2023 Cricket World Cup kicks off in exactly two months and former players and commentators are beginning to make their predictions and comments known.
This is the first time India are hosting the tournament exclusively, having previously co-hosted it thrice with neighbouring South Asian countries. The hosts have won the tournament twice in 1983 and 2011 but haven’t won an ICC title since 2013.
Australia fast bowling legend Glenn McGrath feels India are among favourites as they are playing in their home conditions. “You wouldn’t be surprised that I’m putting Australia in that four. Obviously, India are playing in their own conditions. England is playing some great cricket and Pakistan is also playing fine. So, they are the best four,” McGrath, who has won the title three times with the all-conquering Australian teams led by Steve Waugh and later Ricky Ponting, told the Times of India.
Mirroring Eoin Morgan
McGrath’s prediction is almost exactly the same as that of former England captain Eoin Morgan. Morgan, who had led England to their first-ever World Cup title in the last edition of the tournament, said that England and India are strong favourites for him while Australia and Pakistan come close. “When it comes to the business end of the tournament, I have no doubt England will be there, I have no doubt India will be there. And the other teams I would probably see potentially lifting the trophy are Australia and Pakistan, two very very strong teams, and two contenders when it comes to big competitions,” Morgan had told WION.
The tournament is scheduled to start on October 5 with the original opening game being between defending champions England and New Zealand in a repeat of the 2019 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. However, BCCI secretary Jay Shah has since said that the International Cricket Council (ICC) could be revising the schedule after a few Full Member countries wrote to the sport’s international governing body for the same. Shah had said that the venues of matches would remain the same in the revised schedule, but the gaps between games would be adjusted.
“As far as possible, we are looking at not changing the venue as well as the matches. Not changing the venue is very important. Teams which have six-day gaps between matches, we are trying to reduce it to four-five days; and those that have just two-day gaps, we are trying to increase to three days,” he had stated.
