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Unveiling the Champions Trophy: Insights from Cricket Expert Gaurav Tripathi
The Champions Trophy is upon us, and in this episode, we delve into the intricacies of this prestigious tournament with a keen focus on the dynamics of the competing teams.
Host Mayank engages in a substantive dialogue with Gaurav Tripathi, sub-editor at Cricket.com, as they explore the strengths and weaknesses of the various squads, dissecting the implications of their recent performances. The conversation highlights the significance of team compositions and the impact of player injuries, particularly for powerhouses like India and Australia. Furthermore, they scrutinize the potential dark horses of the tournament and assess how emerging teams like Afghanistan could disrupt the conventional hierarchy.
Join us as we navigate the complexities of the Champions Trophy and offer our predictions for this highly anticipated event.
Takeaways:
- The Champions Trophy garners significant attention as top international teams compete, reviving rivalries and generating excitement.
- The relevance of the Champions Trophy is questioned due to the declining frequency of ODI matches played by teams.
- India, while a strong contender, faces challenges in their bowling lineup, particularly with the absence of key players like Bumrah.
- Pakistan's unpredictable nature and fluctuating performance pose potential challenges for their success in the tournament.
- New Zealand is viewed as a dark horse, capable of overachieving despite not being seen as the strongest on paper.
- Afghanistan's spinners are expected to play a crucial role in their potential success at the Champions Trophy, given their recent form.
Link
Gaurav Nandan Tripathi | गौरव नंदन त्रिपाठी (@Cric_Beyond_Ent) / X
Transcript
Hello and welcome to the Last Wicket.
Speaker A:I'm your host, Benny and thank you for joining us.
Speaker A:Folks, it's Champions Trophy time.
Speaker A:In fact, by the time you listen to this, it may already be underway.
Speaker A:Now there's something special about the top international teams coming together for a few weeks and squaring off against each other.
Speaker A:The renewing of old and new rivalries, memorable knocks and spells, the odd ludicrous controversies.
Speaker A:The Champions Trophy has them all covered now.
Speaker A:It has been quite a long time since the last edition.
Speaker A:Seven years or so.
Speaker A:Don't ask me what happened last time I blacked out.
Speaker A:I'm sure everything worked out just fine.
Speaker A:Anyways, I'm going to be rooting for India as I've done all my life.
Speaker A:And Rohit Sharma's men, stardust favorites.
Speaker A:But for a deep dive on how all the teams are expected to fare, my co host Mayank brought on cricket.com sub editor Gaurav Tripathi for a great conversation.
Speaker A:So to listen to their take on the tournament favorites, dark horses, players to watch out for.
Speaker A:Keep listening.
Speaker B:All right, Gaurav, thank you for being here.
Speaker B:We are very excited to have you here.
Speaker B:Before we get into the topic for today, which is the Champions Trophy, wanted to start with you, so wanted to just ask about you, how you are, how you ended up in the cricket space.
Speaker B:You know, we've followed each other on Twitter for a little bit but had not had a chance to really get to know your story.
Speaker B:So, yeah, over to you.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C: was playing Pakistan in that: Speaker C:And I.
Speaker C:And the.
Speaker C:And the first batter I saw was Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Speaker C:And I fell in love with the way he was batting because for me until then, since you were a kid, you want everything fast paced, you know.
Speaker C:And then the style of Dhoni's batting matched my appetite for the drama and action in sport.
Speaker C:And since it was also the time when Dhoni was rising like a rocket in Indian cricket, so Dhoni became my end and it continued on till like my undergrad days.
Speaker C:And then after that is something I found out that through my own cricket page, which I used to run at that time, cricket is much more than just, you know, like something I would love to watch in my free time.
Speaker C:This is something I want to go into and engage with different aspects of the game and not only the stories in fact, but the technical aspects as well.
Speaker C:Even the human emotions which comes out and the story is there so there's a lot to sport which you don't see when you are just a casual fan.
Speaker C:And once you try to be a part of that ecosystem, once you try to analyze things from a technical perspective, from a statistical perspective, that's where you actually find out the layers and the complexity of the game there.
Speaker C: hink after he said bye bye in: Speaker B:Yeah, that's, that's a great story and I, I feel like I can relate to that 100 because, you know, I also just was similar.
Speaker B:I started playing cricket, watching cricket and I thought, I'll play for India one day.
Speaker B:Obviously that didn't happen like thousands of other kids.
Speaker B:But as I started, you know, writing blogs and having an online presence, I got exposed, particularly in the last eight years or so, to a lot of really great, you know, people who really know about the sport, both from a statistical point of view, technical point of view, and as you said, it just opened up my knowledge of the game because at that point, you know, you, we all, we all as fans sometimes will see something happen and say, oh man, these coaches don't know anything.
Speaker B:Like, these captains don't know anything.
Speaker B:And obviously there's a lot more to it.
Speaker B:They, they obviously get things wrong.
Speaker B:But the reasoning behind it, the stats behind it, all of them come from sound cricketing knowledge.
Speaker B:And that's what I feel like I've been exposed to more and more and it's made me gain respect for the cricketing community a lot.
Speaker B:So I completely relate to that journey.
Speaker B:But let's jump into today's topic.
Speaker B:So we're talking about the upcoming Champions Trophy.
Speaker B:Now, it's a weird time to have an ODI tournament because teams barely play ODIs these days.
Speaker B:In fact, even just before this tournament in India and England were in a.
Speaker B:England were touring India and on that Tour they played five T20s and three ODIs, which just did not make sense.
Speaker B:On top of that, this is an.
Speaker B:Only eight teams are part of this tournament.
Speaker B:So what are your thoughts about the relevance of the Champions Trophy considering, you know, it's ODIs the way they are, as well as the fact that it's happening after eight years.
Speaker C:I think Champions Trophy as a product from the International Cricket Council has not always been their biggest marquee product.
Speaker C:I mean, that's always has been the ODI Cricket World cup, you know, and so even when, when it was happening and even when ODI cricket was in Ascendancy and like that.
Speaker C:And India used to play at least 15, 20 games a year on a very regular basis.
Speaker C:So even, even then, the Champions Trophy wasn't like your top tournament.
Speaker C:So when India has played hardly three or four ODIs in the last one year or so, then you can understand key like, what's the, what's the interest or the high for this tournament in the first place?
Speaker C:And, and as someone who's part of the cricket media business, I can easily see key how some media outlets are preferring to cover the WPL instead of building up for the Champions Trophy, you know, so that should tell you key apart from the India Pakistan big game, like, what do the other games and, and what do the other players think of the tournament?
Speaker C:And the fact that so many players have like backed out from playing in this tournament.
Speaker C:I mean, some injuries are there, of course, but the names like Star Bumrah, like them not featuring also brings the hype of the tournament down a lot for me.
Speaker C:And ODIs in general have been a format which have been squashed between, you know, Test cricket and the shortest format.
Speaker C:And so for me, the only reason championship still exists is because the International Cricket Council needs to keep generating funds every year and they have that big cash Star of the India Pakistan game to milk.
Speaker C:So they, they wanted an, a tournament where they can make an excuse for India to play Pakistan.
Speaker C:That's why all the gymnastics right before the tournament to like give India an extra venue since they won't be traveling to Pakistan, you know.
Speaker C:So that's why they went that extra step and made sure every team which India would play will have to travel to Dubai to play them, which is extra work for those teams.
Speaker C:And like, right, to start with, you know, and, and even then the, the, and, and, and the teams which are not in India group, they don't have to do that.
Speaker C:So there's not an equivalence in the competitiveness or the, you know, the challenge level of both the groups.
Speaker C:And to start with, I feel.
Speaker C:And so Champions Trophy and its significance, I mean, it's, I mean, the height speaks for itself.
Speaker B:Yeah, I think you're right.
Speaker B:And I do think like the World cup still, you know, generates so many eyeballs, so much excitement now again, like, if the ODI format continues to decline the way it is and you know, like, it's not like ICC is putting in a lot of effort to make the tournament, like make ODIs more regular or anything like that.
Speaker B:So there is a chance that in, I don't know, 15 years, maybe the ODI World cup goes away as well.
Speaker B:But until then that will remain like cricket's key trophy.
Speaker B:The World Chess Championship, like is getting more popular, but it's still not at that level of the ODI World Cup.
Speaker B:So yeah, the Champions trophy is a little bit of an oddball.
Speaker B:And I think the other aspect you touched on is just the fact that, you know, the, the tournament will be held across Pakistan and Dubai.
Speaker B:It just makes things really complicated from like planning a team.
Speaker B:Right, because you're only allowed to take 15 people.
Speaker B:The conditions in Pakistan are generally supposed to be pretty flat.
Speaker B:Dubai, you know, I, I think there's not been a ton of ODI cricket being played in Dubai, not even in Pakistan to be fair.
Speaker B:But you know, in Dubai even fewer games have been played.
Speaker B:So do you think that will also challenge teams?
Speaker B:Because now they have to carry 15 people who can find combination, who can make a good combination across the two venues.
Speaker C:And, and the point which you're mentioning is 100% valid because it's not only the fact that you have to account for two venues.
Speaker C:Most of this team coming to this tournament, as we have already talked about, they haven't played a lot of these games.
Speaker C:So when, so for example, when, when England came to India, like just the three match ODI series I'm talking about, one thing was very clear to me, they are, they are having trouble to create that ODI tempo.
Speaker C:You know, they are going too hard to quit.
Speaker C:And I feel when I saw the Pakistan and the Kiwis and the South Africans clash in the tri series like in Pakistan.
Speaker C:So even, even then it was very clear teams are struggling with, you know, having that tempo of an ODI innings.
Speaker C: , which we used to play it in: Speaker C: en the England templates from: Speaker C:So I feel key teams are thinking it off as two and a half T20 innings.
Speaker C:So, and the way England was batting, it made very clear to Niki there is a tempo issue for sure.
Speaker C:And, and I don't think there are enough warm up matches to start with to get those teams into that mold.
Speaker C:So that's one.
Speaker C:And the second part being is that since it, it, it might feel key, the pitches in Dubai would be coming kind of similar to the pitches in say Karachi for that matter, because Karachi is Also slightly slower while the Lahore pitch or the Pindi pitch is a bit flat and quick, you know.
Speaker C:But, but I feel since the winters aren't over in Dubai yet, so the there.
Speaker C:So there would be something for the pace bowlers also there, you know.
Speaker C:And we, and we have already seen key when a tournament is played in Dubai or Abu Dhabi at the start or the end of the winters, like the.
Speaker C: I am thinking about IPL: Speaker C:You know, pacers used to get a lot of help and even the current coaches in Dubai and all, they, they all feel this.
Speaker C:A team traveling, say for example, they are.
Speaker C:India is traveling with five spinners, you know, so, but, but in Pakistan you don't actually need those many spinners right now because the pitches are so flat your spinners will get wet.
Speaker C:Or you have to be someone like a standard who's so canny that he can bowl on any surface because he keeps varying his like baseline length and everything.
Speaker C:So the issues come there in the team combinations as well.
Speaker C:You'll have to, you know, make your 15 in that way that you can choose for Dubai as well as for Karanchi, Lahore or Pindi.
Speaker C:So it's like a mess for the team in India's group.
Speaker C:And, and I really hope teams would be able to, you know, one, figure their combination out and second, play the right eleven.
Speaker C:Because otherwise if the cricket is not good, there is no hype for this tournament to start with.
Speaker C:And if the actual cricket is also not good, then we might be in a terrain where this tournament would be like a, like a dead duck right from the start.
Speaker B:Those are, those are great points.
Speaker B:And I think, you know, the, the one aspect I was looking at before the start was have teams played one days.
Speaker B: played a single one day since: Speaker B:South Africa and Afghanistan played a series, but that wasn't at Dubai.
Speaker B:And Sharjah, they play, right?
Speaker B:Sharjah, that's correct.
Speaker B:And then in Pakistan, of course, you know, they've played a few games, the hosts, but apart apart from the recent try series, there's not been a ton of cricket.
Speaker B:So the mixture of new conditions, conditions that the teams are not used to, plus the first, first point that you mentioned, you know, just the lack of an ODI template, that is I think going to be a key piece.
Speaker B:Now you might say that if every team is a little bit rusty Maybe we still get a good competition, I don't know.
Speaker B: he level we expected from the: Speaker B:But at least till the 25th over it did not feel like New Zealand was out of it.
Speaker B:They were chasing with all gung ho and you know, it felt like this was going to be a much closer game than it ended up being.
Speaker B:And that I feel like that piece might be an issue.
Speaker B:And you know, that's exactly to your point.
Speaker B:If the quality starts suffering, you can only do so much promotion, you can only hype it so much.
Speaker B:People will realize and, and you know, look away.
Speaker B:Especially when there's so much cricket going on.
Speaker B:The WPL is going on.
Speaker B:I, anytime I open, since I'm based in the us I watch cricket on Willow.
Speaker B:Anytime I open Willow, I see some random game going on.
Speaker B:I don't even know there was a Rajasthan Kings vs Delhi, some, some game going on and I was not even sure what league that is.
Speaker B:So with all this cricket going on, I'm not sure.
Speaker B:Viewers continuously watch the Champions Trophy.
Speaker B:Let's talk about the squads.
Speaker B:Let's start with India.
Speaker B:Of course.
Speaker B:The only real surprise in my head is Mohammed Siraj and his exclusion.
Speaker B:What are your thoughts on, on his exclusion as well as, you know, does India have enough considering Bumra has now been, you know, declared unfit.
Speaker C:If you ask my personal opinion and, and I know that like many would not agree with me especially after seeing Harshit Rana bowl against England.
Speaker C:But I feel Harshit Rana is still like six month or one year away from being a Siraj level bowler, you know.
Speaker C:And the fact that Rohit Sharma wasn't able to trust Siraj with the old ball, it should tell you that like the team wanted to have a, a very good first change bowler, right?
Speaker C:And since Bumrah's fitness was always going to be dicey coming into the Champions Trophy, so they thought that like to sit out Siraj and give that chance to Rana.
Speaker C:Now personally I feel with the amount of experience Siraj already has gained and the amount of heart he showed in the ODI World cup since he was bowling so well there and maybe a few errand spells here and there.
Speaker C:Otherwise it was like always what the team wanted from him, you know, like he wasn't your Bumra or Shami level bowler but like he wasn't very far, far away from them as well, you know.
Speaker C:So I felt, yes, he was very hard done by.
Speaker C:But I still feel there is a lot of merit that Harshit Rana can offer you with his, you know, since the, in the England series, it was very clear his pace was right up 140 or above 1.
Speaker C:Like at least 60, 70% of his balls were above 140.
Speaker C:And since he knows how to change the pace, change the, you know, his grip also on the ball, use the angles very well.
Speaker C:That's why he was able to get bigots also.
Speaker C:So Harshit Rana, if he's used as the first change bowler, I can see him doing some good impact for India.
Speaker C:So it's not like a, a very Dutch selection where like Rana won't be able to offer anything.
Speaker C:I think he has a lot to offer.
Speaker C:It's just that will his, the his capability of, you know like banging it in and bowling it with pace and is he able to do that throughout his turnover spell in all the three league stage games that India would play?
Speaker C:Because even if one game goes here and there, since it's a very short tournament, things can get dicey very quickly.
Speaker C:So Rana will need to be accurate.
Speaker C:And, and this is something he has struggled with because even in the games he has gotten wickets against England, like I think he was leaking runs at seven, eight or more runs per over, you know, so Rana has value but then again like he'll lead to be at his best if he, if India like want, you know, like a second or third femur than him.
Speaker B:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker B:And I think I really like Archdeep is obviously in the spot and he's, you know, great with the new ball in T20s.
Speaker B:He's played the role of a death bowler a lot of times with good success.
Speaker B:So I, I would really want to back and I like that selection.
Speaker B:But the other aspect is Shami is also, he just played an ODI after 400 odd days coming back from a long injury layoff.
Speaker B:I think the, the risk there is Shami's always had better figures bowling one change and compared to opening the bowling.
Speaker B:And the other aspect is just because he's coming off such a big layoff, does that leave too much for just Ashdeep to manage the death?
Speaker B:So I think those are two aspects.
Speaker B:I feel India is weakened obviously with the absence of Siraj at the top, Bumra at the end.
Speaker B:And I think they're, they're, it's not that they don't have the bowling like they still have really good spinners.
Speaker B:If you look at Akshay, if you look at Jadeja, if you look at Kuldeep now, Varun Chakrabarti in the squad.
Speaker B:So they really do have an exceptionally talented squad.
Speaker B:But you do feel that there are some holes that can be poked and I think, you know, in a crucial game, that's all you sometimes need.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:So what do you think India's chances are?
Speaker B:Like, obviously there's a lot of people who will say, oh, India are still the favorites.
Speaker B: games or something since the: Speaker B:And you know, the fact that even somebody like Bu being absent only makes them slightly weaker should, you know, says a lot about their strength.
Speaker B:So do you still think they are favorites?
Speaker C:I think they would be definitely in my like top two favorites for sure.
Speaker C:Like, if not the sole favorites.
Speaker C:And the point you are mentioning about like, you know, Shami being a better one change bowler than an opening bowler, I feel like India has no option, India have no option but to like make him bowl with the new ball because like the other option is like to ask Harshit Rana to do that with Arshdeep and, and I just feel like you are like putting the young kid too much into the fire right from the beginning if you put like Rana out there, you know, so Shami will need to be at his best.
Speaker C:But from whatever I saw in the in, in the England series, I felt the accuracy we know that Shami can hit when he's bowling at his peak was missing and also his pace wasn't right up there, you know, like, because Shami is your 135, 245 consistent bowler.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:So this is something again I would say because he's coming out after a very long layoff and, but again it's Shami we are talking about.
Speaker C:So if India are bowling second and, and the sun is going down and there is just a slight like pull nip in the air, Shami will make that ball talk.
Speaker C:This much I'm 100% sure about, you know, and even in the World cup final, we the Indian fans keep making him, you know, a criminal because he wasn't able to like scatter the oppositions as he was able to do in all the other games of the tournament.
Speaker C:But Shami can do the same damage here again because I feel the pacers would have something for them and like, maybe not on the pitch directly but maybe like through the air and like, because his team position is one of the best in the world.
Speaker C:So like you, you can never take Shami out of the game.
Speaker C:And if his engine is hot enough as like Shastri like wants to select like Shastri keeps saying that a lot.
Speaker C:If Sami Kainjan Garm Hai then like Sammy is gonna like shatter the opposition.
Speaker C:So I feel if he's able to warm up quickly, if he's able to get to his, what speed he wants, what like areas he want to pitch the ball in, Shami will be really, really like great for India.
Speaker C:And coming to the spinners, I feel India might be carrying a spinner too many because they are playing all the matches in Dubai and Dubai is not the place where you go with a spin heavy attack, especially at this time of the year.
Speaker C:And so I feel I'm not very sure about the role of Washi Sundar in this side because a case can easily be made of having an extra pacer in his face.
Speaker C:Right?
Speaker C:Because he's not offering you a lot with the bat down the other.
Speaker C:His, his power hitting is not at that level where you can trust him to come and score at 12 or 13 runs and over.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:I mean he can come and do it.
Speaker C:I'm, I'm not saying that he can't.
Speaker C:It's just that the president isn't there for us to believe in him at this moment, you know, and with the ball as well.
Speaker C:He's not a strike bowler in ODI so far.
Speaker C:He's, he's not someone who can come and like take three quick wickets for that.
Speaker C:He's, he, he's a very accurate and a very good bowler.
Speaker C:I am, I'm not taking that away from him.
Speaker C:And the bounce he gets like because of his height and sometimes even he's able to turn the ball when there is even a slight amount of help in the pitch.
Speaker C:But then again like where would India fit him?
Speaker C:Yeah, you know, because, because they have Kuldeep, they have Varun, they have Jadeja, they have Aksar.
Speaker C:So with Axar in there with Jadeja and they're like, it would be too many, like, like one finger spinner too many to play.
Speaker C:And anyways I feel India would be playing either one of Kuldeep or Varun because like both of them are, they don't offer much with the bat.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:So those combinations problem will keep coming in.
Speaker C:And Gambhi's proclivity for playing all rounders at any spot, you know, I mean sometimes it's great for the Indian team because it gives you depth.
Speaker C:It Gives the skipper many options to play around with, but he can be a very hard wired coach.
Speaker C:We have already seen that and it's not limited to the longest format.
Speaker C:I feel we have already seen what his hard wideness can do against India in the white ball formats as well.
Speaker C:So I'm a bit wary of what tactics and what combination would India play and whether they are the top favorite or the second or the third favorite would depend on how flexible Gambir is in his strategy and how open he is to take the, you know, take feedback from the players or from the game and, and be malleable about his strategies going into the Champions Trophy.
Speaker B:Yeah, no, I think that's a great point.
Speaker B:I, I agree with Sundar.
Speaker B:I really like him and I think he's a great Test prospect.
Speaker B:In particular, I think his batting has come along quite a lot in Test cricket.
Speaker B:But he's definitely not the bowler that Jadeja Kuldeep or even Varun Chakravartin in the limited ODIs that we've seen him in is.
Speaker B:He's definitely not the batter Akshar Patel is.
Speaker B:So I really don't know where we fit him.
Speaker B:I would definitely have had Siraj in place of him.
Speaker B:Again, I think with Akshar, with Jadeja and with Hardik Pandya, we have enough all rounders.
Speaker B:I really don't see a fourth all rounder fitting into this squad.
Speaker B:But yeah, we'll see if he at all even gets a game.
Speaker B:It's also a short tournament, so that also makes me sometimes question the need for an extra all rounder, you know, because if it's a longer tournament, I can see injuries coming in or you know, just rotation, trying to keep, you know, different players in form, something like that.
Speaker B:In a three match and then semis final type of a tournament, like five matches at a maximum.
Speaker B:Yeah, I don't really see like us trying out all our four all rounders.
Speaker B:That's unlikely to happen.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:What about Australia?
Speaker B:Australia is an interesting side.
Speaker B:I mean they're obviously a champion side at a lot of formats and a lot of tournaments, but with the Champions Trophy they're an interesting side because I, you know, they've, they've not won in a long time.
Speaker B:The other aspect about the Champions Trophy is they've had so many injuries.
Speaker B:Probably the team that has been worst hit with injuries is Australia.
Speaker B:And then of course they have had some people like Stark who have decided to step away for personal reasons.
Speaker B:Marcus Toyness retired after not getting a Cricket Australia contract.
Speaker B:Where do you think they Stand and, and their chances.
Speaker C:From a batting point of view, I think they are almost as stacked as they were before.
Speaker C:You know, like, yes, Tony is a big miss, but in the opening they would have short and head and then they would have Smith and Inglis Marness, and then the all.
Speaker C:And then the all all rounders would come in with Maxwell Hardy and all, you know, so the batting is tagged that, that I don't have a problem with.
Speaker C:And, and I really believe in Ellis's fast bowling because he, because he's a very good, you know, speedy pacer and he uses his slower ball and all really well.
Speaker C:So I really rate him there.
Speaker C:But Spencer Johnson, Shaun Ebert, I mean they are here, they are there.
Speaker C:But like, again, like, these are not the bowlers.
Speaker C:I mean, they can come and do the job, of course.
Speaker C:And Sean Ebert hits those back of a length really well.
Speaker C:And the same for Spencer Johnson as well with his height, with his angle, you know, like, so he, so he can definitely be a threat.
Speaker C:But then again, they are not as strong as what a Pat Cummins and a Josh Hazelwood and a Star would have done.
Speaker C:And, and, and especially Stark.
Speaker C:I mean, he's a goat in this format.
Speaker C:Like, like, if I'm being honest to myself, I would put him right after Bumrah.
Speaker C:Like he's, he's, and he has shown in multiple World Cups what he's capable of.
Speaker C:Like, we don't need to talk about what Star could bring to the table.
Speaker C:But then again, and I had already talked about it, him backing out of the tournament is not making a lot of sense to me because if you're not injured and Alyssa Healey has already mentioned in a podcast, I'm.
Speaker C:But how she, but she indicated it very evidently that it is to just like chill out and rest.
Speaker C:So I mean, if, yeah, and if, if Stark is not ready to play the Champions trophy and he's, and he'll definitely show up for the ipl, like right, right after that.
Speaker C:So it tells you key with how much prep and how much vigor the Aussies have taken into this tournament.
Speaker C:But then again, they're a champion side.
Speaker C:They'll step on the field.
Speaker C:They would have Zampa.
Speaker C:And Zampa is one of the best spinners, one of the best white ball spinners and in the world right now.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker C:And they have ls, they have Maxwell and, and they have Hardy as well.
Speaker C:And who's a very good player, to be honest.
Speaker C:So you can never take out Australia.
Speaker C:And if I'm being honest to myself, they'll Be in the top three favorites for sure.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's interesting.
Speaker B:Like I feel like, you know, the bowling lineup is where I was scratching my head and I, I think you're right.
Speaker B:Is and Alice are probably both really solid.
Speaker B:You know, Alice has a lot of experience even playing, you know, IPL and around the world.
Speaker B:Zampa does not need any introductions.
Speaker B:But, but I think apart from that.
Speaker B:Yeah, I do feel that after that is where there will be questions.
Speaker B:None of those players are, are bad.
Speaker B:They've all been consistent performers in, in domestic cricket and you see them in, you know, Big Bash and ipl, many of them in IPL as well.
Speaker B:But none of them are people that you need to strategize against.
Speaker B:Like when you see a really good bowling lineup, I'm sure batters are like, hey, I'm going to try to play out Rashid Khan and then take on XYZ or I'm going to try to, you know, play out Pat Cummins or Stark with the new ball and then try to take on the fourth bowler in that lineup.
Speaker B:That doesn't feel to be the case.
Speaker B:And so I do think if they had a full squad they would be probably my second team just behind India.
Speaker B:But considering they are missing a lot of people, I would agree with you.
Speaker B:I think they're maybe the three third or fourth team in, in this eight team tournament.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And.
Speaker C:And also the fact that they'll be playing all their matches in Pakistan.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker C:So that, so that has to factor in because otherwise if they were playing in Dubai and they had a match against India or say Bangladesh for that matter, then, then, then I would have thought that the batting lineup could crumble against the Spinner.
Speaker C:But since they have Smith and Marness in there, I mean madness not so much but like Smith, Maxwell and even had it head in there.
Speaker C:So I backed their batting lineup to hold themselves very, very easily like in Pakistan because the ball might not do much and, and if there's space then they are like always on top of that.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker B:Let's talk about England now this, they have gone from a really great one day side to a really poor one in basically no time.
Speaker B:Like it feels like just, you know, a couple of years back when people used to say that hey, England is the site to be.
Speaker B: ng from ball one, all of that: Speaker B: They've since: Speaker B:They've lost three other series.
Speaker B:Of course they have a few good players but where do you think they're struggling the most?
Speaker B:And do you see them making, making it to the semis?
Speaker C:I think that we can talk about their cricket problems but I feel England white ball setup has an existential problem at this moment.
Speaker C:And, and by existential I don't mean key like they're a bad ODI side or a bad T20I side.
Speaker C:It's just that their philosophy isn't clear to me.
Speaker C:What do you guys want to do?
Speaker C:Do you guys want to bashball the out of others?
Speaker C:Because, because when you are doing that it means there's a very thin line between being foolish and you know, being brave.
Speaker C: r a very long time since like: Speaker C:And they're batting, I mean yes, I trust Butler to do well, I trust Ruud to do well.
Speaker C:But then others I'm very dicey about.
Speaker C:You know, Salt came to India, we saw like how he bang, bang out, bang, bang out.
Speaker C:I mean like guys, you can't play like that.
Speaker C:Like there are 50 overs, you have to play the 50 overs game, you know.
Speaker C:And I'm all in for going all out in the first 10.
Speaker C:But after the first 10 when the fielders have gone out, take a step back, you know, bat at 6 to 7 times PI over U D note go.
Speaker C:You don't need to go at eight runs per over in an ODI game at all points.
Speaker C:We're not going to score 400 every single game.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:So that is where the batting comes in.
Speaker C:But I, but I'm more worried about the bowling in general because Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, I mean Archer, yes, Archer still is a very, very good white ball bowler, you know.
Speaker C:But Mark Wood and Sake Memu, they, they'll fall flat in Pakistan.
Speaker C:It's just that they are a very one dimensional kind of attack, especially a one dimensional fast bowling attack in my head because Jofra is someone who can bowl at any phase in the game.
Speaker C:But Mark Wood as a middle overs enforcer hasn't been able to do his role because.
Speaker C:Because only pace is nothing, you know, I mean like pace is, pace works in Pakistan.
Speaker C:But then again you'll have to do those, you'll have to move the ball, you'll have to make the batter think how to get those runs.
Speaker C:You you, you can't make it easy like so the, what the Indian batters did to them.
Speaker C:I feel each and every single batting liner would try to do the same against England.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:Soon as the first 10 overs are over and they're like PC bowlers will come in, they'll milk them for singles here and there and a boundary each over, you know.
Speaker C:So batting at 7 runs per over against England wasn't a problem for India throughout that three match ODI series.
Speaker C:And again they'll fall into the same trap.
Speaker C:But Rashid is in great form like Adil, Adil Rashid is in great form and the way he's bowling, the way the ball is coming out of hand, oh my God.
Speaker C:70 to 80 kilometers per hour speed.
Speaker C:It's almost like watching Poonam Yada bow leg spin, you know, like, like the ball is going above your eye line and, and then it dips.
Speaker C:Then, then it turns, you know, and it's not, it's like slow magic, you know, like you know what's gonna come but, but you will miss it.
Speaker C:You'll miss the end of it and your stumps are shattered at the end.
Speaker C:So Adil Rashid is in top form and I expect him to be England strike bowler in this competition.
Speaker C:But again my only concern is what if the pitches are roads?
Speaker C:What if you get that shiny pitch in Pindi that, that we all have seen throughout the years.
Speaker C:You know, it, it feels like mirror, like it feels like shisha they call it in Pakistan, you know.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:So then I mean like Rashida the spinner would have to do a lot more in the air than from the pitch.
Speaker C:So England are here but they are not exactly there, you know.
Speaker C:So that's the case with them, I feel.
Speaker B:Yeah, I think that's a great point.
Speaker B:On, on before we move on from Adil Rashi that the ball that he got Kohli, that there was one ball in the, in the one day series which turned nine degrees and oh my God, what a ball that was.
Speaker B:That was a brilliant ball.
Speaker B:I, I felt the same, you know, the way you were describing his bowling.
Speaker B:But I think other than that.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And also for some, for some reason he keeps his best balls for Virat Kohli.
Speaker C:Like, like I don't fall Virat's facial expression that he makes after Adil, you know, he gets the ball to zip past his edge almost every single time because the dude is like bam, bam boozled every single time.
Speaker C:Like he's bowling so well.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B: eally, I don't know if it was: Speaker B:Like he was extremely shocked that he got bo.
Speaker B:Yeah, exactly those expressions.
Speaker B:But, but apart from that, yes, I do agree that their bowling is, has.
Speaker B: he, the one thing they had in: Speaker B:Now suddenly that's not happening.
Speaker B:And the other aspect is as much as Joffrey Archer is exciting, he seemed kind of off color in the recent series either he was not hitting the lens, the lines, it was a mixture of the two.
Speaker B:So it just wasn't the same level of consistency that we expect from Joffre Archer.
Speaker B:And then on top of that it feels like they've, I think they need a slightly better to your point like the strike rotation in the middle that just seems to be missing.
Speaker B:Hopefully Root can plug that gap.
Speaker B:You know, he's obviously scored a lot of runs and him, Kohli, Kane Williamson, Steve Smith to some extent they are like known to boss the middle overs, you know, over the years by just doing that like they'll just find ways to take risk free singles, doubles and then the odd boundary.
Speaker B:So I think in England's best case is Root has a great tournament and they qualify for the semis.
Speaker B:I really don't see them going past that.
Speaker B:Like I think even qualifying for the semis seems like a stretch to me sometimes especially considering the group they are in because they are with South Africa, they're with Australia and, and you know, both of them are going to give good competition.
Speaker B:Yeah, let's move on to New Zealand.
Speaker B:Now New Zealand are a tough side to look at because they always overperform.
Speaker B:You know, any expect that people have from, you know, at the beginning of the tournament they'll, they'll look at it and they'll say good side but you know, not the best on paper.
Speaker B:Somehow they come up and you know, do incredible things.
Speaker B:Where do you, where do you see this New Zealand side from a quality perspective and just you know, the fact that they are with India and Pakistan, how does that play out for them?
Speaker C:I think they won't be bothered too much by Pakistan to be honest because they have already played them and they know how to beat them and that's where they won the tri series to start with.
Speaker C:For me the problem might come in the batting but then again like you have Daryl Mitchell there, you have Kane Williamson there and, and since they have played their tri series in Pakistan so I expect them, you know to come in with the right tempo, with the right rhythm that you need for an ODI innings.
Speaker C:And also they have like someone like Devin Conway, like who, who we, who we didn't saw much of it in the tri series.
Speaker C:But then there is also Chapman, there is also Michael Bracewell who can come in with the bat in the like the 40 to 50th over phase of the game, you know, and then there is of course Tom Latham at 5.
Speaker C:So the batting lineup is solid enough and, and I think it's a batting lineup that can consistently score 300 to 350 if you know they bat at the level we know that they can bat at.
Speaker C:But then again the problem would come if they lose two or three wickets quickly.
Speaker C:And then, and if Mitchell and Kane Williamson are gone then, because these two batters make the fulcrum of that batting side for me.
Speaker C:And once they are gone, like Gretchen and Tom Latham, like they would have a lot of burden to carry this batting order on their shoulders and, and like I'm not 100 confident of them doing it game in and game out.
Speaker C:And especially since India and Pakistan have a decent attack like Pakistani paces and India has a, has a decent or like pacer and a spin attack to start with.
Speaker C:So it's not like they would have it any easy.
Speaker C:And when it comes to their bowling, their, their bowling I'm slightly more optimistic about because Braceville and Sandal are very like canny spinners.
Speaker C:They are very clever.
Speaker C:They are not your big turners of the ball.
Speaker C:But then again in on Pakistan and Dubai kind of pitches, that is where their accuracy control and also the speed variations would actually come in, you know.
Speaker C:So for the Black Caps, I feel if, if they are, if, if they're batting fires and their spinners somehow hold themselves, then pieces like Duffy and then there is Bill O'Rourke and all, you know, I mean the way O'Rourke hits the deck and the way he gets the ball to move is so nice to see.
Speaker C:And for me, the Kiwis might be your dark horse for the season, to be honest, because they do have the paces to continuously, if not challenge the team, then at least hold their stead and keep the teams to that 300, 320 score.
Speaker C:And then their batting comes into the picture and then they can change this down or if they are batting first, then bowlers can come into the picture and, and put pressure on the batting order there.
Speaker C:So Black Cavs are like right up there in the top four for me, but then I feel it would depend A lot.
Speaker C:If they are able to avoid their batting collapses then they can do a lot well in this tournament.
Speaker B:Yeah, I, I would agree with most of what you said.
Speaker B: I believe injured during the: Speaker B:Like he, you know, he just seems to know the subcontinent or like be comfortable playing in subcontinent and add to that his, you know, the ability to add spinning options.
Speaker B:So I do think they have a better spin attack than they usually do because Rachan can bowl a little bit.
Speaker B:Satna is obviously very smart bowler so that all makes it a very solid, you know, like they will figure out.
Speaker B:Yep, absolutely.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:So they'll figure out their middle overs.
Speaker B:I think from a bowling perspective that should not be an issue.
Speaker B:Now the good aspect for them is Matt Henry has been in good form again.
Speaker B:Yep, absolutely.
Speaker B:And, and so their, their bowling in general looks pretty solid.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:It feels like again I'm going back to the fact that on paper they don't seem to have too many holes at the same time.
Speaker B:They're not superstars.
Speaker B:So it's not like you know, everybody can win the game single handedly but there's not a lot of weak areas as well, so to say.
Speaker B:I think the one area where I feel I was looking at records and I noticed Devon Conway has not been in the best form.
Speaker B:So that might be an area of concern for them.
Speaker B:But other than that, you know they just won the tri series in Pakistan.
Speaker B:They probably, apart from the host are the team that has the most experience there.
Speaker B:There's a lot to play with that play within that whole combination.
Speaker B:So yeah, you never know like they might be one of our semifinalists and, and as with New Zealand, you know, you just never know.
Speaker B: World cup in: Speaker B:2021.
Speaker B:Let's talk about the host.
Speaker B:We haven't talked about Pakistan yet.
Speaker B:I always struggle with Pakistan and I mean it's also because we play so fewer one day games these days.
Speaker B: up since: Speaker B:Now again, 16 games is not a ton but that's still a pretty Decent record.
Speaker B:Add to that they did reasonably well in the tri series.
Speaker B:Now obviously some people will say they should have won but the positive that they'll take away from that is they chase down their highest total.
Speaker B:That's not something they're always known for.
Speaker B:They are generally a more conservative batting side.
Speaker B:You know, that's true for even their T20 setup.
Speaker B:But in ODIs that can actually work.
Speaker B:You know, they have enough firepower in Fakhar Zaman and now Salman Aliaga who can cover up towards the end.
Speaker B:So yeah, thoughts on the hosts and their chances?
Speaker C:I think Pakistan have a lot of flux of energy coming to their side going into the Champions trophy because they won away series in Australia and South Africa, you know, so that's a big deal for any subcontinent nation and since Pakistan hadn't done that a lot in the past.
Speaker C:So it's definitely like a big confidence boost for them and I mean the Pakistan Cricket board, they hyped those wins a lot.
Speaker C:So it like it's definitely that it means a lot to them and under their new captain with like Salman Ali Aga helping him, you know and the batting looks decent to me.
Speaker C:But then again there are enough holes if you sit down and you want to poke and you want to poke at them, you know, because yes, is good and can do really good.
Speaker C:But then is Babar Azam in the best form of his life?
Speaker C:You know, there's a big question mark there.
Speaker C:And again like Babur is someone who can bat in the Kohlius fashion and score those hundreds like every two or three games.
Speaker C:But then that, that is something we haven't seen from him in the last two or three or four years even, you know, so Babar Azam would, if Barber performs well with the bat, Pakistan would do well with the bat, you know, because the, the batters to come after him with Dwan and Salman Agha and Sakil.
Speaker C:So I believe in these three a lot more than the top order to be honest.
Speaker C:Because Fakar, if he gets going then it's great but if he gets out then the team is in misery because then who would come and score those quick runs, right?
Speaker C:And their batting order isn't full of power hitters anyways.
Speaker C:So, so if teams are batting first against them and since they don't have a very good spinner like Abrar is decent but Khushdel is very like below average like at the moment like you can't be a six runs per over bowler and not take a wicket, you know.
Speaker C:So Kushdal, I'M not very sure about, to be honest.
Speaker C:And for me, like, if, if they had to play like an all rounder, then, I mean Shadab Khan isn't a bad bet, to be honest.
Speaker C:Like if, if Khushil Star is just standard at the moment, then Shadab can also come in.
Speaker C:Right?
Speaker C:So, so, so that, and if their paces are able to do well because Harris Hasnan Shah and then Shaheen Afibi, you know, so if they are able to like pull up their socks and get those and, and be the strike bowlers that we know that they can be.
Speaker C:And they were until that Asia cup happened in Sri Lanka, you know, so after that there's.
Speaker C:Their fall has been pretty rapid.
Speaker C:So if, if, if the bowlers are able to hold the teams to that 260 to 320 score, then their batters will always, will always come into the picture because they have those batters who can bat at like a 85 to 100 kind of a strike rate and then keep the game going.
Speaker C:You know, they, they might not have a Pandya or a Maxwell kind of a hitter, but they don't exactly need them to win a 300 game.
Speaker C:You know, like one or two boundaries like every couple of overs that can do the job for them.
Speaker C:So Pakistan, for me, they are the dark, dark horses because it's a very like a energy and a vibe driven team.
Speaker C:So the vibe is currently going for them, you know, but then again, like they are unpredictable as always.
Speaker C:You don't know which kind of Pakistan would appear on the field.
Speaker C:But then that unpredictability is also due to the holes in the squad.
Speaker C:Like it's very fashionable to say that Pakistan are being Pakistan.
Speaker C:But then there's the reason Pakistan are being Pakistan on such a regular basis because they refuse to fill the holes in the squad.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:So again, like if, if they, if they win their first game and, and if, and if somehow they win that India game, then I'll back Pakistan to like go all the way.
Speaker C:Because winning against India would motivate them like anything.
Speaker C:And, and clearly it's a very evident fact, like I stay in India and for us, like, for us as in the Indian fans, Pakistan isn't a team we would fuss over much because we know we can, we can like beat them easily.
Speaker C: le to do what they did in the: Speaker C:And Salman Ali Aga said today that like the Pakistan India game might be the biggest game in the tournament, but like that one win won't define that Champions trophy as a whole.
Speaker C:Like, and the fact that if they are not able to win the tournament, when it's, when it's at their home, when they have played on these grounds all their life, then it would be a great opportunity loss.
Speaker C:And that is what my exact assessment of their Champions trophy, to be honest.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B: I think that: Speaker B:Yeah, there's, you know, despite of Fakazaman's amazing innings and all of that, you know, Mohamed Amir's bowling, all of that taken into consideration, Indian team was better.
Speaker B:And yeah, even today if they met irrespective of conditions, if they met 10 times, you would expect India to win at least seven of those games.
Speaker B:So what they will need to beat the best teams in the tournament is those outstanding one off performances and then like smaller contributions around them.
Speaker B:And yeah, I think the other issue that I feel they have is from a pacer's perspective, sure Shaheen Shah, Afridi, Naseem Shah are both, you know, spectacular and you know, they can get the ball, the new ball in particular to move.
Speaker B:But I think their spinner, yes, that's, that's where their weak link is because yes, Abrar is a good spinner, but I don't even know if they consider him their number one ODI spinner.
Speaker B:You know, he plays obviously, you know, used to play, I should say now it's a different spin duo that they have in test cricket.
Speaker B:But he was, for a while he was consistent in test cricket and then now he's not even there anymore.
Speaker B:So yeah, there, there definitely are enough holes in that where you can't completely back them.
Speaker B:So it's an interesting lineup.
Speaker B:And talking about like a bowling attack which has a lot of holes, probably a good time to move to South Africa because I think South Africa I would say maybe probably just as badly hit with injuries as Australia.
Speaker B:They have a ton of injuries.
Speaker B:Anybody from Andrew Nokia to.
Speaker B:There's so many pacers, I'm even forgetting names at this point.
Speaker B:But there are so many pacers that are injured.
Speaker B:And what that means is there are three solid bowlers who will definitely start are Rabada, Janssen and Maharaj like those three we know are going to be solid, they will start game after game.
Speaker B:But that's where like it gets tricky because they're 4 and 5, 4th and 5th bowler are not the same consistency.
Speaker B:Shamsi is a good bowler, there's no doubt about that.
Speaker B:But he's, he's not always playing, he's not always the most consistent bowler.
Speaker B:He can go for runs.
Speaker B:So thoughts on South Africa and their, their chances, particularly their, their bowling lineup where I feel like they're a little bit limited.
Speaker C:Yeah, and I would tend to agree with you because like despite the Bada, like you know, being their best pacer at this moment, he hasn't exactly been at the level we know that he can be.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:And if Janssen isn't getting those like initial wickets which we saw in against India or like any team he plays against, he's very good in those starting overs.
Speaker C:If he, if Janssen is not able to get the ball to move and get those wickets and if batters target him, then I worry a lot for the South African pacers in specific because if the Barda isn't doing the job then you'll have to go back to either and giddy.
Speaker C:And then again like he, he isn't someone like you would want to be like in your like top two paces like, because his level isn't at that Nokia level.
Speaker C:Like you know that the one we know that like the pace and the strike bowler that Nokia is like he's not the same kind of bowler to be honest.
Speaker C:And they do have Vyan Mulder and I rate him highly.
Speaker C:But then again we haven't seen very much from him in the ODI games as we have already talked about since teams hardly played.
Speaker C:So like Mulder I'm not very sure about, he can come in and bowl like those cutters and like those change of deliveries in the 10 to 40 over phase.
Speaker C:But a lot would come back to how Keshav Maharaj is bowling.
Speaker C:You know, if, if in his 10 overs he's able to get like two, two wickets on a consistent basis, then South Africa do have a chance because then they'll able then.
Speaker C:Because then they'll be able to control the 10 to 40 over phase.
Speaker C:And as we know, like in the current generation ODIs, the middle overs are where you know you win or lose the game because teams are able to ace the power play because of the T20 cricket.
Speaker C:They go bang, bang, bang and then at the end they know they have to hit.
Speaker C:So they will hit and they, and, and their Batting line is stacked.
Speaker C:They have Classen, they have subs, they have Miller.
Speaker C:And then like Markram may not be in form but we all know what he's capable of.
Speaker C:He's such a good technical batter, you know.
Speaker C:And they have Temba, their captain and, and Temba has been in really good form.
Speaker C:So like, and they have their classic ODI style like Rassie Van der Dusen, the Kohli Babur kind of batter, you know, who will keep the game like going on with singles, doubles and the occasional boundary in between.
Speaker C:So that batting, I'm not too much worried about it, but it's their bowling because if Yansen doesn't fires and the Bada isn't getting you those wickets on a regular basis, then where will the wickets actually come from?
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:Now I, I, that's true.
Speaker B:Like their batting lineup is so stacked and I, I mean, I think this definitely is one of the reasons they did so well in that T20 World cup last year.
Speaker B:You know, a lot of pitches were had, you know, support for spin and players like Classen, I mean I, I think he's the best player of spin in the world and, and David Miller is pretty amazing.
Speaker B:Of course, Stubbs is relatively newer, but he's shown his pedigree as well.
Speaker B:So that batting lineup no doubt is, is quite amazing.
Speaker B:I do think they're a little bit of, you know, a start and stop side of a, type of a side where if they get on a roll they'll, you know, start accumulating a lot of wins.
Speaker B:Like that's how they worked in the T20 World cup as well.
Speaker B:And again like with not enough ODIs and even in the tri Series they weren't the most like in a 3, 3 team tournament to not even qualify for the finals.
Speaker B:That, you know, says a lot but they definitely have enough batting that if their bowling fires they'll be, you know, a force to reckon with.
Speaker B:So I, I think the, and, and the fact that they're in the, in this, you know, they're in the group which has Australia and England alongside Afghanistan, I believe and that makes things a little bit complicated because Afghanistan is not the lightest team in the world.
Speaker B:Like they're, they're, I don't think anybody expects them to win the Champions Trophy, but they are more than capable of an upset and they almost did that to Australia in the 23 World cup for example.
Speaker B:So I think it's a pretty stiff challenge for South Africa.
Speaker B:Do you still think they're going to make it to the semis?
Speaker C:No, like If I have to predict right now, no.
Speaker B:Who.
Speaker B:So you're, I guess, you know.
Speaker B:Let's talk about the semi finalists then.
Speaker B:So who would your semi finalists be?
Speaker B:From both, both groups.
Speaker C:I think from.
Speaker C:In, from the India group it would be India and Pakistan and from the Australia group it would be Australia.
Speaker C:And there would be a tough competition between I think Afghanistan and South Africa and England because, because all these three teams have a lot of holes to cover and it would all depend on the mass situation to be honest.
Speaker C:And it's very hard to predict.
Speaker C:So like if I have to choose one I would go with a, with an option that's slightly closer to my heart and I would love if they make it Afghanistan that it would be.
Speaker B:Quite amazing especially considering you know, the verge of like they were nine, they had Australia 91 for seven in the last ICC tournament and our last ICC one day tournament I should say.
Speaker B:And then from there not going on after playing so well.
Speaker B:So Afghanistan was in definitely a side that would be great to.
Speaker B:No worries.
Speaker B:That would be great to have with.
Speaker B:But other than that, you know I, I think I still feel South Africa have enough.
Speaker B:Like I just think you know, in England, considering how they have been, I feel like yeah, there's, there's still a chance that South Africa will make it through.
Speaker B:We've only not really gone in deeper into Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
Speaker B:So let's touch upon them as we wrap up.
Speaker B:I think everybody will agree that Bangladesh is number eight in this a tournament, you know, eight, eight team tournament.
Speaker B:Just because of the way they're just not a great batting side.
Speaker B:Like that's as, as simple as that.
Speaker B:There's.
Speaker B:They've gotten a little better with their bowling but they're just not performing.
Speaker B:You know, they've not improved their batting the way Afghanistan has.
Speaker B:For example, Afghanistan on the other side, especially in subcontinent conditions are a handful.
Speaker B:They even beat.
Speaker B:Although it was a, you know, not a full size, full strength South African side.
Speaker B:But they beat them in UAE in a one day series and I think they have a strategy at least.
Speaker B:Like they have a lot of depth so they bat a little bit more conservatively but that strategy has generally worked for them.
Speaker B:They rely heavily on their openers taking their time and then try to launch off as much as possible.
Speaker B:They're not the best in the depth but nonetheless that's how they get to good targets.
Speaker B:So yeah.
Speaker B:Thoughts on both of those sides.
Speaker C:I think I'll begin with Bangladesh first because I don't think I have a.
Speaker C:Because you covered their batting to Be honest, very precisely.
Speaker C:They don't have batters who can chase a target above 300 runs.
Speaker C:Like, let's be very, very, very frank about it, you know, and it's the same candidates we have been seeing for almost a decade now.
Speaker C:And they'll again, you know, back the likes of like, Rahim and Shanto and, you know, like, and, and all to, you know, get those runs and come and do it after the 30th over mark.
Speaker C:And to be honest, if they are batting first, they need to score around 280 to like the 320 run mark because, because they do have the pace bowling and because there is fizz, there is Nahid, Nahid Rana, who, who has been really good in the past, you know, so.
Speaker C:And then they have Taskin and Uhtanzim also there.
Speaker C:So they do have the bowling attack.
Speaker C:But then again, like, they are not your elite kind of bowlers.
Speaker C:We expect to come and strike against top teams on a very regular basis.
Speaker C:And Tuskegee can get the ball to bounce and like, climb up on the batters and Tanzim has a very good yorker and all and his change of delivery, the slower ball is very good.
Speaker C:But then again, like, you don't expect these bowlers to come and flatter an Australian or an England batting side.
Speaker C:And since they are in and, and even if they reach that level, like, I don't feel they can challenge the teams in their group, which is India, Pakistan and the Kiwis, you know, so, like, I'm not very sure about that.
Speaker C:So like Bangladesh here and there.
Speaker C:If they do well, we are happy for them.
Speaker C:If they don't do well, it's the same old Bangladesh and like the same politics will start like a.
Speaker C:The Bangladesh Cricket Board will call a meeting and then a review will start happening and then the same story again.
Speaker C:So Bangladesh, I think we all know where we are headed towards.
Speaker C:And with Afghanistan, I would say their batting looked conservative.
Speaker C:When we had the 20, 23 ODI World cup, they had a set template that they'll go slow, they'll go at a steady pace, they'll try to reach that 250 to 300 run area and then.
Speaker C:And that's where the spinners would come in.
Speaker C:Rashid, Noor, Mujeed, Nabi, you know, but this time there, I, I feel they have the same batting lineup, right?
Speaker C:And Saki Ull is only the new batter who has come in, but I feel the same batters have grown a lot more in the last one and a half years, like Ibrahim Zadran's batting has gotten a lot better, like his striking, you know.
Speaker C:So like their openers are better the same and so that's where I expect their openers to come a lot better.
Speaker C:Come, come more faster at the paces, you know.
Speaker C:Because if the openers are able to give them 50 runs in 10 overs then that's where the like of Hashmatullah Nabi and Azmatullah Omar can come in.
Speaker C:Because Omar is one player, I feel he can be the most valued player of that side because his bowling is really good and he's a very good swing bowler.
Speaker C:So if he's able to get the ball to move in the air during the night time.
Speaker C:So Afghanistan would really like him to come in the 10 to 20 over or the 25th over mark and as the first change bowler and do his job because we know Fazalak Farooqi is good, right?
Speaker C:So if Fazalak is bowling his lens he will do fine.
Speaker C:But we need an another pacer to come in and that's where I bank Azmatullah and to come and like do do their job much, much better than what we have seen them to do in the past.
Speaker C:Otherwise their spinners are again top notch like Rashid Noor and then they have Mujeeb as well, you know.
Speaker C: d against England, say in the: Speaker B:Absolutely, yeah.
Speaker B:I don't think I have anything else to add.
Speaker B:I do think they're an exciting team to watch and particularly their spinners, you know, they're, they're always fun to watch, always have some mystery up their sleeves.
Speaker B:On that note, Gaurav, thank you so much for your time.
Speaker B:It's been amazing chatting with you and talking all about Champions trophy.
Speaker B:I hope your wish of Afghanistan qualifying go does happen because I think then we're going to have a, you know, fascinating Champions trophy.
Speaker B:It's not going to be one that we can, you know, sleep through.
Speaker C:Thank you man.
Speaker C:Thank you.
Speaker B:Yep, thanks.
Speaker B:Thanks a lot and we hope you join us again.
Speaker C:Same here man.
Speaker C:Same man.
Speaker C:Thanks a lot.
Speaker C:Mankind.
