The 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup is the upcoming mega assignment for all the teams, and they are focusing on building a top-quality side to compete in the global event, which will be held in India later this year.
Since the host nation captured the last three 50-overs World Cups, the pressure will be on Team India to continue the trend. Though, other subcontinent teams, such as Pakistan and Sri Lanka, can also do well since the conditions in India are not alien to these nations.
However, in the recent past, overseas teams have cracked the code of doing well on slow tracks in Asia; hence they can pose a big challenge as well. Speaking about the same former Sri Lanka captain, Kumar Sangakkara reckoned that the overseas sides would do well in the upcoming 50-over showpiece event.
Sangakkara even claimed that subcontinent nations like India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka would not be favourites to win the next World Cup. The 45-year-old observed that teams like England, Australia, and New Zealand have learned to play spin a lot better than the last time World Cup was hosted in Asia – 2011.
“I think cricket’s changed quite a lot since 2011; in those days, I would say that in Asian conditions, it favours the subcontinental players. But over the years, I think England, Australia, and New Zealand have learnt to play spin a lot better than even the subcontinental sides,” said Sangakkara on Star Sports.
“You see a lot of reverse sweeps, paddle shots, and sweeps, all of these new strokes using their feet. I think that has revolutionized the way we look at cricket in the subcontinent. IPL has helped a lot in terms of exposure as well,” he added.
