Former cricketer Irfan Pathan’s surprising semifinal predictions for the 2023 Cricket World Cup have left fans stunned! Find out why Pakistan was snubbed and who the top contenders are in this thrilling tournament preview.
With the much-anticipated 2023 Cricket World Cup just around the corner, fans’ excitement has reached a fever pitch. Cricket pundits are busy making bold predictions about the tournament, and the latest expert to weigh in is former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan. Irfan has predicted that the four semi-finalists of the ODI World Cup will be India, South Africa, England, and Australia. Notably, he left out Pakistan, despite them being considered one of the top contenders for the title.
In the lead-up to the tournament, India has displayed ruthless form. They clinched the Asia Cup and followed it up with a series win against Australia in the ODIs. England has also been in splendid form, triumphing over New Zealand in their recent ODI series. Meanwhile, South Africa mounted a remarkable comeback by winning the series against Australia 3-2 after initially losing the first two games.
Pakistan, on the other hand, faced disappointment as they failed to reach the Asia Cup final and suffered a humiliating 228-run defeat against India in that competition. Additionally, Pakistan has been hit by a significant blow with star pacer Naseem Shah being ruled out of the ODI World Cup. The much-anticipated tournament kicks off on October 5, with England facing New Zealand in Ahmedabad. India’s first match is scheduled for October 8 against Australia in Chennai, followed by a high-stakes encounter with arch-rivals Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium on October 14.
India is eyeing its third 50-Over World Cup victory this year and has addressed most of its concerns in the run-up to the event. One lingering concern was the form of Shreyas Iyer, but he put those doubts to rest by scoring a century in the second ODI against Australia. With a history of home teams performing well in World Cups since 2011, India is optimistic about claiming the prestigious title on home soil once again.