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As Team India gear up for the Asia Cup 2023 final and an upcoming limited-overs series against Australia, the cricketing world’s attention is already turning towards the ODI World Cup 2023, scheduled to commence on October 5. While fans hold high hopes for India’s performance in the mega event, former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull has raised eyebrows with his critique of the Indian cricket team’s approach.
India’s journey in the Asia Cup 2023 has been a successful one so far, culminating in their qualification for the final. However, the focus is quickly shifting to the much-anticipated ODI World Cup 2023, where the hosts will launch their campaign in Chennai on October 8. Fans across the country eagerly anticipate India’s performance on the global stage.
Doull’s critique of India’s playing style
Doull’s critical remarks are centered on India’s playing style, which he describes as not ‘fearless’ but rather statistics-driven. Doull suggests that Indian batters are overly concerned about their personal statistics, leading to a more conservative approach on the field. He highlights that, especially in crucial tournaments like the World Cup, the team tends to rely on tried-and-tested methods.
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“Fearless cricket is their issue. They don’t play fearless cricket enough. They play statistics-driven cricket, and they are too worried about their stats too often. And to me, that is the one area I am concerned about their batting side,” Doull stated during a discussion on Sky Sports.
While Doull acknowledged that India possesses some of the world’s best cricketing talent, he believes that the fear of media criticism and concerns about their place in the team have hindered the players from taking more risks on the field.
“They have got all the talent and some of the best players, if not the best players in the world. But it is about playing the fearless cricket at the right time of the tournament and I think that is what had really let them down in the last few World Cups. They don’t go out there and and take risks because they are so worried about what might be said or what might be printed or what might someone ask them about their place in the team. That’s the one area I am concerned with,” added Doull.
