Zaheer Khan shares the importance of the ODI series in the buildup to the T20 World Cup

Former India pace bowler Zaheer Khan said that ODI cricket should continue to make its presence felt ahead of the 2022 T20 World Cup. He also stated that teams will also have to keep the 2023 ICC World Cup in mind while playing the shortest format.

With the T20 World Cup a couple of months away, the upcoming schedule comprises of regular ODI cricket where India are slated to face West Indies, Zimbabwe, and South Africa in a set of bilateral ODI series.

Saying that the teams need to start their groundwork from now for the ODI World Cup in 2023 despite the focus currently being on T20Is considering the mega event, Zaheer Khan said on Cricbuzz: "It is a balanced approach because you do have the 50-over World Cup coming in 2023. From that point of view, you need to be in touch with the game, you need to identify the personnel, you need to have the process defined even though it is about a year and a half away."

Some cricketing nations are currently involved in an intense qualification process through the ODI World Cup Super League. However, India have already sealed their place in the tournament as the host nation. Meanwhile, a total number of eight teams will directly qualify for the event, whereas other nations will have to play the qualifiers in order to play in the marquee event.

Zaheer Khan says this series will be important for the players

Despite the number of ODIs in the schedule, the primary focus for the team will remain on the shortest format. The Indian team have faced several near-miss opportunities over the years and will be adamant about winning their second T20 World Cup title this year.

Meanwhile, under the new leadership and guidance of Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid respectively, the team have prepared a successful blueprint and are the No. 1 T20I ranked side in the world. Zaheer Khan believes that the second-string Indian team can only improve if they get more match action.

While talking about how they have a good opportunity on their hands in the upcoming series, Khan said: "When it comes to T20s, the more you play, the better understanding of each and everyone's role you are going to have, better understanding of the team selection you get."

Zaheer Khan concluded: "From that point of view, the key players have been rested from the ODI squad, which itself shows that you want the bench strength to be exposed to pressure situations. There is nothing better than a match scenario."

Notably, Team India will play against West Indies in the first ODI on Friday (July 22) at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain. The two teams will face-off in three ODIs and five T20Is.