IND vs AUS: Wasim Akram warns BCCI, Indian players could get tired with Australia ODIs

IND vs AUS: Wasim Akram warns BCCI: Former Pakistan bowling legend, Wasim Akram reckons the upcoming IND vs AUS ODI series is “unnecessary” as it could lead to fatigue in the players ahead of the marquee ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Akram’s warning came after India defeated Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2023 Final in Colombo by 10 wickets.

Notably, Team India is set to play a three-game ODI series against Australia, starting September 22. The two sides will meet in Mohali for the first fixture, followed by games in Indore and Rajkot on September 24 and 27 respectively.

It is also noteworthy that the ICC World Cup 2023 begins eight days after the IND vs AUS ODI series conclusion, on October 5 in Ahmedabad.

Wasim Akram, the former Pakistan skipper, felt that the Indian team has been on the road continuously since August 2023. There were a couple of back-to-back matches in the Asia Cup 2023 as well. So the ODI series against Australia might put pressure back on the players, who are continuously playing competitive cricket.

He argued that the players have to be fresh and in the right mind space before such a big event like the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Moreover, India, being one of the favorites of the tournament, needs to make sure that all the boys are fresh and ready to rock.

“There are different venues and traveling in India… it takes a day (between every match),” said Wasim Akram on Star Sports post India’s resounding win against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2023 Final.

“You need to preserve energy before the World Cup. I don’t know why they are playing three ODIs (against Australia). It was probably done a long time ago, but it was a bit unnecessary. You don’t want to be tired before a mega-tournament where you are favorites at home. If you want some more players in the squad, you can play those in the three ODIs against Australia,” he said.

The BCCI is yet to announce India’s squad for the Australia ODI series. If nothing goes wrong, the players named for the Asia Cup 2023 will take the guard against Australia as well. There might be a few changes in the squad, depending upon the requirement, but the overall dynamics of the team would remain the same.

The upcoming series against Australia becomes important for India as it will be their final chance to make improvements to their game before the much-important World Cup 2023. Australia being a tough opponent, would provide India with an opportunity to take their preparation to its climax, and vice-versa.

Below is the complete IND vs AUS ODI Schedule:

IND vs AUS ODI Schedule

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For more details head to ICC’s official website.