The ODI World Cup is to cricket what the Olympics is to Athletics, opined former Indian batter Virender Sehwag as ICC announced the final schedule for the summit event later this year.
On Tuesday the ICC announced the schedule for the 2023 ODI World Cup. India will host the event that will open on 5 October and conclude with the final on 19 November.
Sehwag, who has played the World Cup thrice, knows the ups and downs India have been through in the World Cups very well.
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Speaking about the mega cricketing festival at the schedule announcement event on Tuesday, the former Indian opener said, “For me, the World Cup is the best moment. I have reached the final once, won it once and crashed out without qualifying. So the journey has been up and down.”
India reached the final in Sehwag’s very first World Cup in 2003 but was beaten by Australia in the summit clash. His second World Cup was a total disaster as India could not go past the group stage in 2007. And he was part of the team that won the 2011 World Cup, which India also hosted.
“The best were certainly 2003 and 2011, which we won. Everyone was telling us, you have to win and we were like the host nation had never won it,” said Sehwag.
“If you score 500-600 runs in a bilateral series, no one will remember it. But if you contribute 300 odd runs in the World Cup or pick up 10 wickets and you win the crown, that will be remembered throughout your lifetime. Dhoni’s six, Kapil Dev’s 175, still gives us goosebumps. There is nothing bigger than the World Cup, it is the Olympics of Cricket.
“Because representing India in the Olympics is a big thing, but if you win a medal there, it is widely celebrated in the country. No one might know the athlete before they go to the Olympics, but once they come back after winning, the whole country applauds them. So when we won the World Cup, the fans were on the roads celebrating,” Sehwag added.
Talking about the mega India vs Pakistan clash, Sehwag opined that Men in Blue would be the favourites as they handle pressure better.
“Everybody knows that all the focus is going to be on the India vs Pakistan match. I am ready to have a battle with Shoaib Akhtar during that game… on social media. The record says that India haven’t lost a World Cup game to Pakistan,” Sehwag said.
“We are ahead 7-0, out of which we have chased just once. Otherwise, each time India have batted first and put up a match-winning total. I’m not sure what will happen that day (October 15), but the team that handles pressure well will win.”
“I feel that now India handles pressure that is why they win whereas Pakistan have a burden that they haven’t won against India. In the 1990s, they were good at dealing with pressure but after 2000, India soak it better. If any player says that they don’t feel pressure, I don’t think it’s right. We used to say it too but at the end of the day, we know it’s an India vs Pakistan game and emotions run high,” he added.
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