Fast-Bowlers Pose Significant Threat with New Ball in 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup

As the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup commences with the opener between England and New Zealand at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, the echoes of the 2019 final at Lord’s resurface, with a focus on fast-bowling prowess.

Both England and New Zealand possess potent batting line-ups and effective spinners, but the threat from fast-bowlers, particularly with the new ball, remains a prominent factor. Despite the absence of Tim Southee, New Zealand’s Trent Boult poses a significant challenge to England’s batters.

Recall the 2019 final, where Boult nearly dismissed Jason Roy lbw with a menacing inswinger, setting the stage for a tense match. In his return to ODI cricket last month, Boult’s excellence was on display as he claimed 5-51 against formidable opposition, even with Ben Stokes in top form.

Since 2022, Boult has taken 16 wickets during the power-play, excelling in white-ball cricket. Partnering him is right-arm pacer Matt Henry, with 18 wickets in 20 matches in the same phase, forming a formidable new-ball duo for New Zealand.

India’s Mohammed Siraj leads the list of fast-bowlers in the first power-play, with 32 wickets in 28 games since 2022, playing a crucial role alongside Jasprit Bumrah in India’s resurgence in this phase.

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Australia relies on Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood as their new-ball combination. However, England’s Chris Woakes, Reece Topley, David Willey, and Sam Curran have been less effective in the first ten overs, with an average above 50.

Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi is another new-ball threat, but his impact wanes after the opening over, with just five wickets since 2022.

The new ball swings considerably in the first ten overs in India, making it challenging for batters. Fast-bowlers who utilize full-length deliveries or strategic short-ball barrages pose a constant threat in the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup.

Statistics show that pacers have excelled in the first power-play, especially with fuller-length deliveries. Spinners, on the other hand, find success with good-length deliveries.

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In the middle overs, good-length deliveries and yorkers dominate the fast-bowling landscape. In death overs, yorkers prove fruitful for fast bowlers, even though they have a higher economy rate when going fuller.

Spinners rely on good-length deliveries in the middle overs and tend to bowl more in the death phase than the first ten overs.

Furthermore, more teams have been bowled out in the last two years than in previous World Cup cycles. Teams are likely to push for higher run rates, especially with dew concerns in evening matches.

The performance of fast-bowlers and spinners in handling the dew in October and November on Indian venues will be intriguing to watch. For now, fast-bowlers making early breakthroughs in the first ten overs could be the key to World Cup success.