3 teams that could find it tough at the 2023 World Cup as per schedule
The International Cricket Council (ICC) finally released the schedule of the 2023 ODI World Cup after intense delibration regarding venues and off-field issues.
According to the schedule, the tournament is slated to begin on October 5 with a rematch of the final of the previous edition between England and New Zealand. Meanwhile, the final of the upcoming event will take place on November 19.
Much like any major tournament, the cricketing schedule for each team has a certain ebb and flow to it. The format of the competition ensures that each team plays atleast nine matches, before the knockouts unfolds.
A few select teams kickstart their tournament against teams that differ in ranking in comparison, while some teams have the most difficult challenge lined up at the start itself.
With a total of 10 teams in the competition, there is enough time to recover as the other fixtures are played out. Moreover, since the tournament is taking place across 10 venues in India, there will be a lot of travelling involved, and fixture crunch will be something that the teams will be looking to avoid.
While the fixture list has been prepared keeping every team in mind and placing them on an even keel, there are bound to be slight advantages and disadvantages that come with it inadvertently.
On that note, let us take a look at three teams who could find it tough at the 2023 World Cup as per schedule.
#1 New Zealand
New Zealand are in a myriad of uncertainty ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup. While they have a reputation of playing their best cricket during ICC events, their chances drastically reduce without their skipper Kane Williamson and subcontinent asset Michael Bracewell.
Their campaign begins with a clash against defending champions England in Ahmedabad. But their opening encounter against the white-ball giants only pose as one of their problems.
The Blackcaps do have a favorable string of matches following the first match, but they have a tough set of weeks ahead of them.
From October 22 to November 4, they will have to face India, Australia, South Africa, and Pakistan across three different venues.
#2 South Africa
The Proteas' quest for a maiden World Cup title continues with the 2023 edition as they continue to rebuild after a heavy transition period.
South Africa suffered heartbreak at the 2022 T20 World Cup at the final group-stage hurdle and will be on the lookout to shake off their past reputation make history in the subcontinent.
They will begin their campaign with a contest against one of the qualified teams from the ongoing qualifiers in Zimbabwe. They then have a crucial contest against Australia lined up.
However, the most difficult portion of their campaign comes towards the end, where they have to face Pakistan (27 October, Chennai), New Zealand (November 1, Pune) and India (November 4, Kolkata) in a week's time across three different venues.
Facing a subcontinent side as a visiting team presents as a huge challenge and South Africa will be put to test when they face Pakistan and their spinners at Chepauk.
Similarly, playing against hosts India at a packed Eden Gardens will also not be a picnic by any sorts of imagination.
#3 Afghanistan
Afghanistan cleared a huge barrier to be among the heavyweights in the cricketing landscape by qualifying directly for the 2023 ODI World Cup. They finished the Super League in the fifth position, above the likes of India, Pakistan and South Africa.
Despite a set of formidbale performances in the 2019 edition, which include the matches against India and Pakistan, the Gulbadin Naib-led side fell short and ultimately ended up with zero wins.
Afghanistan have a huge challenge right from the word go, as they have to face white-ball giants India (October 11) and England (October 14) in the space of three days and then face New Zealand (October 18) and Pakistan (October 23) next in Chennai.
While the MA Chidambaram Stadium is probably the ideal venue for the side due to their spin bowling talent, it will be a huge challenge for the team.
Bangladesh also have a tricky set of fixtures during the 2023 ODI World Cup. The subcontinent side have to face England, India, New Zealand and South Africa successively from October 10 to October 24 across four different venues in the World Cup.
Which team do you think has the most complicated fixture list at the 2023 ODI World Cup? Let us know what you think.