Akash Chopra Makes A Bold Statement About The South African National Team
The South African team will be taking part in the upcoming T20 World Cup in India. Though the venue of the tournament could be still changed, it will be going on as per plan. The ICC is working hard on finalizing a location for the competition that is having minimal Covid-19 cases. The idea is to have a good cricket tournament after last year’s completion was postponed due to the pandemic.
A lot of top teams will want to perform well and try to win the contest. This will include South Africa. However, Akash Chopra has made a bold statement about the Proteas, based on the live cricket that they have been playing in recent times. Though the African side has a strong team, they have a lot of critics due to the recent controversies that have surrounded their team.
They are not really favorites to win the tournament. However, they could be decent challengers, based on the quality that they have amongst their ranks. This could give them a real push in order to leave their mark on the tournament. However, they will have to fight really hard to make a major impact. The other teams in the competition have really good squads too and most of them will not go down without a fight.
What Was The Remark Made By Akash Chopra About The South African Cricket Team?
The former Indian cricketer claimed that South Africa will not win the T20 World Cup with AB de Villiers. On his YouTube channel, the opener turned Pundit said that South Africa is less of a competitor without De Villiers. His exact words were, “The chances of their progress would have been better if AB de Villiers was there. If he is not there, it is impossible to get a player of his quality. The team still has good players but is it a team that can win the World Cup, I personally do not think so.”
The South African cricket team has not been great in the World Cup competitions. Though they have played some decent cricket at times, they have failed to get the job done. They have performed below par most times too and that has not helped them to showcase credibility in these major tournaments. Also, the times when they have looked good, things have not gone their way. The team will be hoping to change that in the upcoming tournament.
However, Akash Chopra has produced his verdict on the same and his ideas are already certain. He does not have too much faith in the team and has predicted what will happen with the South African team. With that being said, AB de Villiers will not be making a comeback as his fans may have initially expected. His absence will be severely missed by the team and he is without a doubt, a special player.
What Next With Regards To The Venue For The T20 World Cup And The Remainder Of The IPL 2021 Tournament?
Though the cricket fans wanted a heroic comeback for Mr. 360, it seems that will not happen. The other concern in hand will be about the venue of the tournament. Whether the tournament will be now held in India or moved away, is still a major concern. The number of growing cases in the country had already forced the BCCI to suspend the IPL 2021 tournament.
The situation could be troublesome with regards to the upcoming T20 World Cup as well. It was confirmed recently that a decision would be taken on June 1. The BCCI had suggested that they would be trying their best of retaining the rights of hosting the tournament. In case the venue does need to be changed, it will be interesting to see where the tournament is relocated.
Recently, there were stories that the UAE and UK could be alternative venues for the tournament to happen. However, there is no concrete news of confirmation, for the change in venue that has been confirmed. The ICC and the BCCI will be meeting to finalize what needs to be done next. Though the ICC is not fully aware of the situation in India, they may take the example of the IPL to make their final decision.
