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As the eagerly anticipated ICC Men’s Cricket ODI World Cup 2023 draws closer, the excitement in the cricketing world continues to build. This quadrennial cricketing extravaganza is set to take place in India, spanning from October 5 to November 19, and the countdown has officially begun.
Expert insights and selections
With less than 15 days remaining until the World Cup kick-off, cricket experts and enthusiasts are fervently discussing their preferred playing XIs and identifying the key players who will shape the tournament’s destiny. Joining the chorus of expert opinions is former South Africa’s skipper Faf du Plessis, who has weighed in on the crucial bowlers poised to make a significant impact during the competition.
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Du Plessis’ bowler picks
Du Plessis has chosen to spotlight three pacers and one spinner as his selections for key bowlers in the upcoming World Cup. His choices feature the likes of Trent Boult, Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj. The 39-year-old emphasized the pivotal role that pitch conditions will play in determining the effectiveness of these bowlers. Whether extracting movement or spin from the surface, bowlers who can adapt to the conditions are set to shine.
In addition to the pacers, the Pretoria-born cricketer introduced the name of Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav into the discussion, lauding his recent performances and noting the challenge he poses to batters with his ability to turn the ball both ways, particularly in conditions conducive to spin.
“I think it depends on the wickets. You know, if the wicket has got something in it, someone like Siraj who just nibbles the ball a little bit both ways, and he’s trying the off stump the whole time. Boult, those kinds of guys are going to be extremely successful. Rabada, all those guys, but if there is a little bit of spin, you know, someone like Kuldeep has bowled really well in the last six months. When he gets his tail up and he gets one wicket, you know, the next batter’s coming in, he’s quite tricky to face his first few balls because he spins the ball both ways,” Du Plessis was quoted as saying to Star Sports.
