India spinner R Ashwin said that though multiple foreign ex-cricketers have claimed that the Men in Blue are the favorites to win the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023 to be played from October 5, it is done with an ulterior motive.
India will be hosting the World Cup for the first time in a solo capacity and this has led to them being seen as one of the favorites to win the tournament and do a repeat of 2011, when MS Dhoni and co. won the tournament at home.
However, a member of that 2011 World Cup winning team, R Ashwin had a rather interesting point to make regarding the ‘favorites’ tag. He believes that it is a tactic used by cricketers around the world to reduce the pressure on themselves and put the Indian team under the spotlight.
“I know people around the world of cricket will keep saying India is favorites. All the cricketers around the world will use this as a strategy and say India are favorite before every ICC event. They use this strategy to reduce the pressure on themselves and put extra pressure on us. India could be one of the favorites,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“But Australia is also a powerhouse. We spoke about the second ODI loss in Barbados. I mentioned that we should back Team India and send them pressure-free to the World Cup. Most of them agreed but some of them were like, ‘Looks like he is already being cautious about what will happen if Team India doesn't win and blaming everything on the fans',” he added.
He further spoke about how fans should be backing and cheering the Indian team in the upcoming tournament.
"See we should realise that one cannot shift the blame on the fans. I also understand. What I meant was that fans are the most important stakeholders of the team. Fans can change the entire vibe of a cricket match. Every time the home team has that momentum, it will be really difficult for the away team when the support is huge. That is exactly what I am saying. See, right from the moment the other teams reach the airport or hotels, I know we are always welcoming as hosts and we should be loud and clear,” he added.
India will start its ICC World Cup 2023 campaign against Australia on October 8 in Chennai.
