R Ashwin has an advice for 2023 World Cup organisers for dealing with dew factor

R Ashwin at 2022 T20 WC in Australia (AP)

The ODI World Cup is set to make its return to India, with the cricketing powerhouse winning its hosting rights for the 2023 edition. Set to commence in October this year, the tournament will be hosted by India in its entirety for the first time, having previously co-hosted the 1987, 1996 and 2011 events.

Ahead of the World Cup, ace Indian all-rounder R Ashwin has expressed his advice for the organisers. The spin wizard believes that the matches should have an early start in order to avoid dealing with the dew factor late in evenings.

R Ashwin says organisers need to advance game for WC matches

The seasoned Indian all-rounder has some advice for the 2023 World Cup organisers. The cricketer said that the organisers need to minimise the impact of dew factor in matches, and cited an example of the high-scoring India vs Sri Lanka ODI played out in Guwahati earlier this month.

Despite slamming 373-7 upfront, the Team India bowlers struggled to post a big win against the visitors by leaking runs in the death overs. While taking to his YouTube channel, Ashwin said:

“India batted beautifully on a slow wicket and posted a score well above par. Still, they ended up having to fight tooth and nail. The quality difference between the teams isn't coming through - dew is narrowing that gap if you happen to lose the toss.”

The legendary spinner further added that the organisers should take venues and timings into account before scheduling the 2023 World Cup matches. He stated that an early start to games will only advance the sport, since teams bowling second will not have to deal with the dew factor later.

“The ICC knows very well that there will be dew, so let's advance the game, and if we start at 11.30am, the dew factor won't come into the game, and why not? Won't all cricket fans prioritise the World Cup and watch matches at 11.30?”

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