- Opposing skippers looking forward to Oct 14 epic between two rivals.
- “There is no pressure on squad to win championship,” says Buttler.
- 132,000-seat Narendra Modi Stadium is largest stadium in world.
Fans are abuzz with cricket fever ahead of the start of the Cricket World Cup in India as defending champions England go head-to-head against New Zealand on Thursday (today).
Despite the troubled build-up, even opposing skippers are looking forward to the October 14 epic between the two rivals.
“I don’t think there’s too many events around the world where you feel like half the world’s tuning in to watch whenever India plays Pakistan in a World Cup,” said Australia skipper Pat Cummins.
India were champions the last time the tournament was staged on the sub-continent in 2011.
With the Asia Cup recently secured and with the likes of superstar batsman Virat Kohli, who is just three centuries short of 50 in the ODI format, in their ranks, India are one of the major teams to look out for.
However, Australia, with the senior batting skills of David Warner and Steve Smith to call upon, will also be in the mix for a sixth world title.
Under the tournament format, all 10 teams play each other once with the top four heading for the semi-finals. The final takes place in Ahmedabad on November 19.
Meanwhile, Jos Buttler, the captain of England, believes there is no pressure on his squad to win the championship as he leads his team into play on Thursday at the 132,000-seat Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the largest cricket stadium in the world.
“We are not feeling like we’re defending anything,” he said. “We’re all starting in the same place and have big dreams and ambitions of going all the way.”
The future remains uncertain
Although the game has proven to be remarkably successful in international tournaments and among profitable franchises, the game’s format has been facing its worst confidence crisis in 52 years, making it difficult to determine its future.
“We believe strongly that ODIs should be World Cups only,” Mark Nicholas, the new president of the MCC, the body responsible for the laws of the game, told ESPNcricinfo.
“We think it’s difficult bilaterally now to justify them. They’re not filling grounds in a lot of countries. And there is a power at the moment to T20 cricket that is almost supernatural.”
He added: “In a free market, the most money wins. And that’s just the end-game.”
In the wake of the fast-paced, smash-and-grab Twenty20, the 50-over format is thought to be excessively pedestrian.
“The ODI has been reduced to virtually depending on a World Cup year for its importance,” wrote former Australia captain Ian Chappell.
This year’s World Cup, which is expected to be voted in as an Olympic sport in 2028, features 10 teams and will be completed in 45 days.
The game’s format, however, is slightly different than the Twenty20 World Cup in the US and West Indies in 2024 which will see 20 nations compete in an event condensed into four weeks.
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson seems to believe in the co-existence of T20 and 50-over cricket as he said: “The ODI World Cup is definitely one of the top events that we can play and be involved in.”
Stokes injury
Ben Stokes, England’s best batter, is expected to miss the game because of a hip injury along with New Zealand’s Williamson, who is still recovering from a knee injury.
“Fingers crossed he’s on the park sooner rather than later,” said stand-in captain Tom Latham.
Veteran seamer Tim Southee is also sidelined, yet to recover from a dislocated thumb.
Pakistan are visiting India for the first time in seven years after a brinkmanship spell that nearly led to a boycott of the World Cup.
The team received visas two days before their first warm-up game, and security concerns over their upcoming clash with India led to nine rescheduled matches, causing a domino effect.
“I think the way people are responding towards our team, everyone enjoyed it. We are a week in Hyderabad so it is not like we are in India, it is like we are home,” said Azam on his first trip to the country.