It's been a decade since Team India last won an ICC tournament. After MS Dhoni led the side to a Champions Trophy triumph in 2013, India have lost as many as four ICC event finals and bowed out in the semi-finals on numerous occasions.
With the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 set to get underway in India on October 5, many experts have tipped the Rohit Sharma-led side to end the global trophy drought in home conditions.
Speaking to sports journalist and anchor Jamie Alter on his YouTube podcast ‘The Spirit of Cricket’, former New Zealand cricketer-turned-commentator Danny Morrison shared his views on India’s chances at the World Cup.
“It’s challenging for India, but at the same time, they won the last World Cup in 2011 at home. It was a long time between drinks, but of course, they have a certain thing called the IPL that's been going on for some time. They're used to, if you like, even those not so experienced guys. But Virat and Rohit, they've played in front of big crowds, they know the expectation. Yes, there's pressure to win at home but for me, they have to be in the mix.
“There's just no doubt because you're used to playing on those pitches, those stadiums, the crowd, the noise in there. And yeah, look, a lot of them are up and down, but look at Yuvraj Singh, when he was player of the tournament back in 2011, he was a guy that really wanted to go out on a high. Sachin, they felt that he was the demigod that needed to have this in the bag, if you like. Virat Kohli was in that side, he was a youngster, but Virat’s not been in a winning side of the IPL, he's not won a big ICC event for a while. It's the thing that will motivate him, there's no doubt. And same for Rohit and those older guys. I don't see a problem with them. Hopefully, Jasprit’s going to be firing a little bit better. But when I look at that mix and just getting off the fence early, I think India are good,” Morrison, who played for New Zealand in three Cricket World Cups - 1987, 1992 and 1996, said.
With the increasing popularity of T20 leagues and T20Is, clouds are hovering over the future of ODI cricket. Many feel that the 50-over format is time consuming and want the ICC to abolish it completely.
Commenting on the state of ODI cricket, Morrison said: “It is at the crossroads, and I think the ICC in all their wisdom have tried, you know, to sexy things up in the 50 over games a few years ago. They've talked about it being 40 overs and condensing it even more, and even trialing it by splitting it up into 25 overs … you bat 25, we’ll bat 25 … and split it over four innings. But when I look at it, the hard thing is that it feels a bit long. And that's the case of I think the modern era and encapsulating the viewer to want to stay and be engaged in it. So, the hard thing is really trying to find a scenario where it's not too long. Fifty overs is long, and look how long the World Cup lasts. So, T20 is powerful, a franchise game, the ICC T20 World Cup, there's only so much of a window. But at the same time, the other great thing about it is that it gives an opportunity to other guys that are coming in to perhaps play for their countries and get a bit of a taste of white-ball cricket and then see where that leads to. So, it'll be fascinating to see where it goes, in terms of World Cups and, and the dynamic of it. I mean, 50 overs, television rights, they love it. We know the advertorial, they love it, the sponsors, they love it. But it is at a real crossroads and I believe that something will give a little bit in the near future.”
Last year, New Zealand’s leading cricketers like Trent Boult, Martin Guptill and Jimmy Neesham gave up their central contracts to play in different leagues across the globe.
Danny Morrison also touched upon the club versus country debate.
“Simple fact, isn’t it? New Zealand haven't got a big talent pool. And you're talking about a world-class talent that is Trent Boult. Look at Chris Gayle, who has played over 100 Test matches and move 150 ODIs, all before, really, the IPL was born and there was this massive shift of ‘cricketainment’ becoming a country rather than country versus country. It's just the way it's shifted. And look, the sun comes up the world turns, the planet changes, and we have to adapt. So now, in the case of Trent Boult, it’s a scenario where you’ve got a very experienced guy at the twilight of his career. I was at the inaugural MLC in the United States in July, and he had his three boys and his wife there, as well as his Mum and Dad, so it was beautiful to have a holiday and have all the kids here. It became a family event. And you can't begrudge that the guys have been great servants, and have served the game well. And again, we're talking about a nation with a very small talent pool, you're not talking about England or Australia or India in terms of sheer numbers. You're talking about teams from New Zealand and West Indies, who just don't have that talent pool.
“I don't begrudge that at all, and I don't think that players on the peripheral trying to make it are begrudging that either. It's just the nature of the beast. You want to pick your best players. Look at Ben Stokes, who has come back for the World Cup and there’s all this furor around poor Harry Brook. Does he miss out? Does he sit in the wings and get a crack? There’s only so many seats at the table, and so when you get X factor guys that are box office, and quality, you can't blame each country or the captain. Joss Butler said, ‘okay, let's bring him back in, I want to get Ben Stokes back in because of dynamic that he brings to the 50-over game’.”
