2 Venues Where Fast Bowlers Will Wreak Havoc In Cricket World Cup 2023

Finally, the final, re-organized World Cup 2023 schedule was released on Wednesday by the ICC and the BCCI which saw a total of 9 games being modified – with changes being made to either the dates of the time of 9 matches in the tournament.

Among the multiple changes to the schedule, the marquee clash of the World Cup 2023, between India and Pakistan, has been preponed a day, to October 14 from the previously slated date of October 15.

The World Cup 2023 in India will be played across 10 venues in the entire country. The semi-finals will be held in Mumbai and Kolkata while the final is slated for the gigantic, 130,000-seater Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

world cup 2023 trophy

The World Cup 2023 will see most of the world’s best fast bowlers operate and have their say in the tournament’s eventual result. The last two World Cups, in Australia and England, saw Mitchell Starc finish as the top wicket-taker in both those tournaments. It is possible that Starc would create havoc in this year’s event too.

There are other competitors among fast bowlers: Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi has everyone excited with his searing pace and swing; India’s Jasprit Bumrah and England’s Jofra Archer will be in battle with fitness to keep themselves going for almost two months, while New Zealand pair of Tim Southee and Trent Boult will be in action too.

South Africa boasts of a strong pace attack comprising Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, and Lungi Ngidi. Sri Lanka, though not known for their pace stocks, have two rapid quickfire seamers in Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara. The likes of Bangladesh and the Netherlands too have medium-pace seamers who can swing the ball significantly and do damage up front.

Despite the tournament happening in India where generally spinners are more effective than pacers, the faster bowlers will have a couple of venues where they will get assistance for them and could run riot on these two surfaces.

Fast bowlers will be most effective in these two venues in World Cup 2023:

dharamshala cricket world cup 2023

Wankhede stadium, Mumbai

Wankhede stadium World Cup 2023
Wankhede stadium World Cup 2023

The Wankhede stadium in Mumbai is undoubtedly the one that will have the most amount of assistance for and threat from fast bowlers in the World Cup 2023 in India. Erstwhile known as the batting paradise, the Wankhede pitch curators have, in the past three years, been leaving a significant amount of grass on the surface that offers plenty of seam movement to the pacers.

In the IPL as well, pacers have enjoyed tremendous, perhaps even unprecedented, amount of success and seam movement from the Wankhede pitch. It was further on show in a low-scoring ODI game between India and Australia earlier this year when Australia were bowled out for 188 with Shami, Siraj, and Pandya sharing 7 wickets between them, and in reply, India too struggled, as Starc and Stoinis took 5 wickets combined.

The Wankhede will be hosting 6 matches in World Cup 2023, including England vs South Africa, both the sides who boast of some world-class swing and express pace fast bowlers.

HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala

Dharamshala World Cup 2023
Dharamshala World Cup 2023

The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamshala, known for its scenic beauty because of the backdrop of the snow mountain caps, will host five matches in the World Cup. Teams like England, India, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand will play in Dharamshala this year.

Because of its windy and cold environment, pacer bowlers who especially thrive in swinging conditions will enjoy bowling in Dharamshala. That includes the likes of Boult, Matt Henry, Starc, Rabada, and Nortje.

Dharamshala has three matches that will start at 10.30 AM in the morning, providing the perfect conditions and weather for the fast bowler to wreak havoc.