The reigning champions, England, have enlisted the services of Saurabh Ambatkar, a side-arm specialist from India, as they prepare for the upcoming ODI World Cup set to commence on October 5.
This strategic move aims to enhance their performance against left-arm seam bowlers during the tournament. Saurabh joined the squad in Guwahati before the warm-up match against India and will continue to support the team throughout the competition.
It’s worth noting that the use of side-arm specialists has become a trend in modern cricket, providing batters with insights into areas they can improve.
Saurabh previously worked with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which could make his contributions highly valuable to the England team.
At present, all four of England’s coaches are right-arm throwers. Due to this, they were actively seeking a specialist in left-arm bowling techniques, and Saurabh was an ideal fit for this role.
His prior collaboration with England manager Wayne Bentley at KKR had already given the team management insights into his capabilities.
England is scheduled to face New Zealand in their first game of the competition
Historically, England has faced challenges when confronting left-arm pacers like Mitchell Starc, Jason Behrendorff, and Trent Boult. In the 2023 World Cup, formidable left-arm bowlers such as Starc, Boult, and Shaheen Shah Afridi pose significant threats.
As a countermeasure, the team management made the decision to bring Saurabh on board, recognizing his potential impact in addressing this concern.
Apart from securing the services of a side-arm specialist, as reported by ESPNcricinfo, the team led by Jos Buttler has also added a local massage therapist to their support staff.
Mahesh Arya will be a valuable member of their medical team for the entire tournament, working alongside Mark Saxby, physio Craig de Weymarn, strength and conditioning coach Andy Mitchell, and team doctor Rob Young.
In their opening match of the competition, England is scheduled to face New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
While their first warm-up game against India was canceled due to rain, they managed to secure a comfortable four-wicket victory over Bangladesh in their second warm-up match.
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