India has announced its squad for the Asia Cup 2023 with Sanju Samson serving as backup due to KL Rahul having a niggle on his injury.
India had started its preparation ahead of Asia Cup which is scheduled to start on August 30. After the Asia Cup, India will have a three-match ODI series against Australia on September 22 and will be heading into World Cup.
Tim Southee on India’s Preparation for World Cup
The World Cup 2023 hosted by India is set to begin on October 5 in 10 different venues. With only less than two months before the tournament, Asia Cup will serve as a warmup for the World Cup.
With experimentations on young players, the team management has been evaluating carefully for the selection of the Squad for the World Cup.
New Zealand’s Tim Southee believes that the Asia Cup will play a crucial role in India’s preparations for the tournament. He thinks that playing more matches as much as possible before World Cup provides a great opportunity for the team on improving strategy.
“I guess ideally you want to play as much as you can together and to lead into a World Cup. But I think you look at the Asia Cup, and what better place to have your team together around that? “I’d imagine that is going to be a big part of the Indian team’s preparation at the Asia Cup,” Southee told the media.
He added that Indian batters will have to prepare for facing the bowlers like Trent Boult and Shaheen Afridi who could cause problems.
“I don’t know what it is, but it was always handy to have a left-armer something probably people don’t face a lot of. Those two guys that you mentioned, Shaheen Shah and Trent Boult, are quality bowlers and have caused a lot of players headaches over the years,” said the Kiwi bowler.
“I do not think it is too much of an issue. I’m sure the Indian players world class players will have solid game plans to whoever bowler they come up against,” he added.
He also said that New Zealand is expecting Kane Williamson fully fit before World Cup. Kane Williamson has been suffered with ruptured ACL right knee injury and sidelined on IPL 2023. But he is under recovery and back playing in nets.
“Kane is doing everything possible to make sure he’s alright for the World Cup. We won’t know until we get closer to the World Cup, whether he will be available or not. I guess it is just wait and see with Kane,” he said.
“(If) you look at us, with such a small cricketing nation, he’s arguably one of our best ever cricketers. Any side that doesn’t have him in it is going to miss him. We’re hoping his recovery goes well and hoping that he’s going to be okay, but if he doesn’t, then it presents an opportunity for someone else to step up,” Southee said.
“Over the last couple of years, we’ve been able to build some depth from some players and I’m sure we’ll find someone that can fill that role,” he added.
New Zealand will be having a bilateral series against England where the teams will play four T20Is and 4 ODIs before the World Cup.
“It’s been tough for all sides at the moment with T20 cricket and juggling the different formats and busy schedules to have your (players) started and living together for a long period of time, but I’d imagine that will change in the next couple of months in the lead up to the World Cup,” he said.
He also said that the players who were part of the IPL could use their experience of the pitches and conditions of the Indian ground.
“Every time you’ve come to these parts of the world, the guys that (are) from New Zealand that were involved in the IPL earlier in the year, would have gained as much knowledge as they can about the grounds and the surfaces that we’ll be playing on,” he concluded.
