"It will be hard to get past a team like India in home conditions" - Faf du Plessis picks his favorites for World Cup 2023
Former South African captain Faf du Plessis has picked his favorites for the upcoming World Cup in India, starting October 5.
While the 39-year-old felt South Africa boasted a strong side, he admitted the hosts will start favorites along with five-time World Champions Australia. Team India won the 50-over World Cup in 1983 and 2011, while the Aussies have owned the event, emerging victorious in five of the last nine editions.
Both teams were eliminated in the semifinal in the previous edition in 2019, while the Proteas failed to qualify for the final four.
Speaking to the ICC in the build-up to the showpiece event, Du Plessis felt home conditions and history could work in favor of the Men in Blue and the Aussies.
"I think South Africa has got a really good side. It will be hard to get past a team like India in home conditions. The other team you can never write off is Australia, with them being so successful in ICC events," said Faf du Plessis.
The South African skipper in the 2019 World Cup also felt strongly about his side's chances in the upcoming edition.
"South Africa's white-ball team is in a strong place. They've got some real experience going into that World Cup," added Faf.
Among the perennial favorites for previous World Cups, South Africa had to battle to qualify for the 2023 tournament, with a 2-0 series win against the Netherlands earlier this year helping them avoid the qualifiers.
Despite boasting stronger sides in the past, they struggled to produce their best in World Cups and never reached a final. However, they are among the few teams to have tasted ODI success in India, winning the 2015/16 series 3-2 and barely losing 2-1 last year.
The Proteas will kick off their World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka in Delhi on October 7.
"Always the challenge of going to the subcontinent for all the non-subcontinental teams" - Faf du Plessis
Faf du Plessis further stated that playing 50-over cricket in subcontinent conditions for teams outside the subcontinent is the ultimate challenge.
The former South African captain felt that the pitches differ vastly from T20s to ODIs in Asian pitches, with spin playing a vital role in the longer format. 2011 was the last ODI World Cup played in the subcontinent, and three of the four semifinalists were Asian sides - India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, with New Zealand being the other.
"The challenge for all teams that are not from the subcontinent is obviously always the challenge of going to the subcontinent. Especially 50-over cricket. I find with T20 cricket, the surfaces are a bit more even. And you get some really good pitches. With 50-over cricket, you can get that wear and tear and the spinners really come into their own," said Faf du Plessis.
England will come into the World Cup as the defending champions following their memorable win over New Zealand in the 2019 final at home. The sides will face off in the much-anticipated tournament opener at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 5.
Meanwhile, Team India will play their opening game against Australia in Chennai on October 8.