Srinagar: Former India cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth has said that he cant rule out Pakistan amoung the favourites in the Cricket World Cup 2023 as they have always done well in India.
The schedule for the 2023 ODI World Cup was announced earlier this week, with India opening their campaign on October 8 against Australia. The India vs Pakistan match takes place at the Narendra Modi Stadium exactly a week later; the 2023 tournament will see Pakistan return to Indian soil for the first time since 2016 when Shahid Afridi’s side toured the country for the T20 World Cup.
During a chat with India Today, Srikkanth stated that most players from the side haven’t played in India, and that could have a detrimental effect on Pakistan’s campaign.
“I am not ruling them out. I would like to see what kind of team they are going to select; that’s the most important thing. Pakistan has always fought well in India. The last time, in the 2011 World Cup, when they played in India, they lost to India in the semifinals in Mohali,” Srikkanth said.
“I am not ruling out Pakistan. Yes, they are used to sub-continent conditions, but the point is, they have not played in India for a long time,” he added.
In fact, none of Pakistan’s players in their last ODI XI (on May 7 against New Zealand) has played in India. There are, however, active cricketers like Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik, and Mohammad Amir among others who were part of the XI when Pakistan last played on Indian soil at the 2016 World Cup. All three are currently out of consideration for the ODI side.