“India’s ‘Favourites Tag’ For 2023 World Cup ‘Utter Nonsense’”: Michael Vaughan

With the T20 World Cup 2022 now over, the focus shifts to the 2023 ODI World Cup which takes place in India next year.

These are still early days but there are a few who suggest the Indian cricket team will be the favourites to go all the way as they will be playing at home in familiar conditions. Former England captain Michael Vaughan, however, isn’t happy with this perception. Having seen England do wonders in Australia at the T20 World Cup, he feels Jos Buttler’s men will head into the 50-over World Cup as the favourites.

The Indian team was considered among the favourites to go the distance in the T20 World Cup as well but they were hammered by England in the semi-finals. India’s 10-wicket defeat was an eye-opener for many. Vaughan, in his column for the Telegraph, wrote that England will be the team to beat next year in the ODI World Cup.

“The next big ticket is to win the 50 over World Cup in India next year. They have good spin options and you have to put them down as favourites for that tournament as well. When the tournament starts people will have India as favourites on home soil. Utter nonsense. England will be the team to beat without any question and that is going to be the case for a few more years to come,” he wrote in the column.

Vaughan also argued that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should be looking at the England model if they want to succeed as a cricketing nation and win major titles again.

“If I was running Indian cricket I would swallow my pride and look at England for inspiration.

“What English cricket has to make sure now is we are at the forefront of white-ball cricket for years. Young players are now coming into a group that has won so much that it should feed down the system. At the top of it all is Jos Buttler, World Cup-winning captain at the first attempt. That is huge for him,” he has also written in the column.