Former Pakistan wicket-keeper Rashid Latif feels that Asian teams like India and Pakistan will struggle to match the power-hitting skills of other heavyweights Australia, New Zealand, and England in the middle overs as they have got the versatility to bat at different gears against high-quality opponents.

Australian batters Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey, England batters Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Joe Root, New Zealand batters Daryl Mitchell, and Glenn Philips has got the ability to play the reverse and switch hits to take on the spinners in the middle overs, while the Asian teams have got one-dimensional batting in the middle order which might work against them in the mega event in India.

In an Interview on the Cricket Baaz Youtube channel, Rashid Latif feels that Asian teams will struggle to get going in the middle overs and feels that spinners like Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid would be an attacking option in the team and said that the Asian spinner will be more defensive in their approach and reckons that this would be one of the closely contested World Cup, as everyone would fancy their chances of winning the mega event in India.

“The one area where I feel Asian teams will struggle to match these sides are particularly in the middle overs when a fast strike rate is required even in 50-overs.”

“A bowler like Adil Rashid or someone like Moeen Ali buys their wickets whereas our spinners focus more on economical bowling. This will be one of the most closely contested World Cups and I don’t see Asian teams getting any extra edge because it is being held in India,” Rashid Latif said.

England will be hopeful of defending their ODI World Cup title in India after four years as they have got a strong team coming into the mega event in India and they will challenge by the likes of the hosts India, heavyweights Australia, New Zealand, and Pakistan in the Sub-continental conditions.

Australia and England are the two teams who have a great chance of doing well on Indian soil, as they have shown the calibre to do well in the Sub-continental condition, and Pakistan and India would also look to do well in the sub-continental conditions have got enough firepower in both batting and bowling department.