“You wouldn’t be surprised I’m putting Australia in that four. Obviously, India are playing in their own conditions. England are playing some great cricket and Pakistan are also playing fine. So they are the best four” McGrath said in an interaction with The Times of India. 

The four teams bear an uncanny resemblance to former England captain Eoin Morgan’s pick. In an interaction with WION, Morgan had said that he had no doubt that India and England would be among the top four teams in the ODI World Cup. He noted that Australia and Pakistan could be the other two teams who have a chance of lifting the prestigious ICC trophy.

A total of 48 matches will be played in the ODI World Cup 2023 at ten selected venues between October 5 to November 19. The first match of the tournament is expected to be played between last time’s finalists England and New Zealand.

McGrath’s advice for Jasprit Bumrah: 

The veteran Australian pacer also had a word of advice for Jasprit Bumrah, who is set to make a comeback to the Indian team in the upcoming Ireland series and is expected to play in the ODI World Cup. While noting that he is a big Bumrah fan, McGrath said that the Indian pacer may have to choose which formats of the game he wants to play. He said that the 29-year-old’s unique action can put a lot of strain on his body and with no off-season due to the IPL and a packed international schedule, it will be harder to play all three formats.

Bumrah will next be seen captaining the Indian side in the three-match T20 series against Ireland starting on 18 August. This will be the first series for the Indian pace battery after a long injury lay-off.

Updated: 05 Aug 2023, 01:54 PM IST