PremiumICC ODI World Cup 2023: No Jasprit Bumrah in Dale Steyn's '5 pacers to watch out'
In a video released by ICC on their Instagram page, Steyn unveiled the names of these five fast bowlers who could make a significant impact during the tournament.
Last Updated: 02.41 PM, Oct 01, 2023
With fans and critics eagerly anticipating the mega event, South Africa's former fast bowler, Dale Steyn, recently spoke to ICC about his top five pacers to watch out for at the 2023 World Cup. The ICC ODI World Cup 2023 is scheduled to commence on October 5, with England and New Zealand, the 2019 finalists, inaugurating the event in Ahmedabad.
India, on the other hand, will start their campaign three days later, facing the five-time champions Australia in Chennai. Prior to this crucial match, the Men in Blue are slated to compete against the Netherlands in their final warm-up game for the World Cup. It's worth noting that their initial warm-up fixture, against the defending champions England, was washed out due to rain in Guwahati.
In a video released by ICC on their Instagram page, Steyn unveiled the names of these five fast bowlers who could make a significant impact during the tournament. Among the pacers was Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi and the only remark Steyn made of him was rather directed towards the Indian captain. He said: "Rohit Sharma, watch your pads!"
However, what surprised many was that Steyn did not include back-from-injury Jasprit Bumrah in his list as only one Indian made the list. The veteran pacer picked Mohammed Siraj as he said: "He swings the ball upfront, knocks over the big batters, a key player for India.”
The other three fast bowlers include South African pacer Kagiso Rabada, New Zealand's Trent Boult and Mark Wood of England. Steyn in fact predicted Boult to emerge as the leading wicket-taker in this World Cup.