Kumar Sangakkara explains why Asian teams like India or Pakistan are not favourites to win 2023 ODI WC

 
Kumar Sangakkara explains why Asian teams like India or Pakistan are not favourites to win 2023 ODI WC
All teams across the world are gearing up for the mega event to take place in the later half of this year. India will host the biggest competition of 2022, the ODI World Cup, which will take place in October and November.

All the teams are preparing to build a strong set of players and find the right combination ahead of the marquee event. India won the 2011 ODI World Cup, which was hosted on their home soil. After that, both of the other events were won by the host nation.

Australia won it in 2015 in Australia, and England won it in 2019 in their own conditions. Thus, the host nation always has an added advantage in the tournament. Meanwhile, other Asian teams like Pakistan and Sri Lanka can also perform well because they will be aware of the conditions here in India.

It means that Asian teams might hold an edge. But the last few years suggest that overseas teams have performed better in these Asian conditions as compared to sub-continent teams. Former Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara also reckons the same.

In an interaction on Star Sports, Sangakkara said that overseas teams would perform better in the upcoming ODI World Cup. He also stated that Asian teams like India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka are not among the favourites going forward in the competition. He also said that SENA countries have learned to play spin better over the years.

Former Sri Lankan skipper said, "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."

Furthermore, Sangakkara elaborates that the players from SENA countries are better at playing reverse sweeps, paddle shots, and sweeps than the sub-continent batters. He also highlighted that the inception of the IPL has also helped the overseas players understand the conditions.

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