Former Pakistani skipper Rashid Latif has expressed his view that had India retained Virat Kohli as captain, they would have been fully prepared for the 2023 ODI World Cup. Latif also mentioned that India’s excessive tinkering with batting lineups has adversely affected their performance, preventing players from settling into their assigned roles.
Kohli was removed as the ODI captain after he stepped down from the T20I captaincy post the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE. Rohit Sharma took over, as the selection committee aimed to have a single captain for both limited-overs formats.
During a conversation on the Cricket Baaz YouTube channel, Latif remarked: “If they had allowed Virat Kohli to continue as captain, India would have been 100 percent ready for the World Cup by this time.”
The 54-year-old former wicketkeeper-batsman added that since India lacks a settled middle order, they’ll depend on senior players. However, he noted that KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, both returning from injuries, are part of this group.
“Indian team management has experimented with several players and if I talk about their batting the middle and lower order say from 4 to 7 they just have not allowed any new player to settle down with frequent changes. I say risky because KL and Iyer are returning from injuries,” Latif added.
Rahul and Shreyas have been recovering at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). It’s still uncertain whether they’ll be fit for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023.
Rashid Latif on the challenge Asian teams might encounter in the 2023 World Cup
During the interview, Latif suggested that Asian teams like India and Pakistan might struggle to match the power-hitting prowess of versatile sides such as England, Australia, and New Zealand in the ODI World Cup.
“The one area where I feel Asian teams will struggle to match these sides are particularly in the middle overs when a fast strike rate is required even in 50-overs. The English, Australian and New Zealand batters have turned to reverse sweep and switch shots against the spinners into something very lethal nowadays,” Latif explained.
He also mentioned that while England’s spinners such as Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali take wickets, Asian teams are prioritizing economy with their spin bowling.
“A bowler like Adil Rashid or someone like Moeen Ali buy their wickets whereas our spinners focus more on economical bowling. This will be one of the most closely contested World Cups and I don’t see Asian teams getting any extra edge because it is being held in India,” he added.
The 2023 ODI World Cup is set to take place between October 5 and November 19. The competition will commence with a match between England and New Zealand in Ahmedabad, a rematch of the 2019 final.
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