Mohammed Siraj is currently equal to anyone in the world in ability: Aaron Finch

The ODI World Cup 2023 has officially started to count down, and former Australia captain Aaron Finch has revealed who he believes will be the main bowlers there. Finch gave Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj excellent marks, placing him in the same category as seasoned players of the same level and format as Trent Boult, Mitchell Starc, and Kagiso Rabada.

Ashwin’s inclusion in India’s World Cup final 15 will rely on the type of surfaces the tournament will be played on, Finch said when asked about the subject. The current home ODI series against Australia, according to Finch, requires players playing alongside Ashwin to try and pick his brains given the wealth of experience he possesses, even if he does not see Ashwin making the cut for India’s 15-man squad.

“Well, Bhuvi is the cause of my retirement. Since neither of us is currently playing, I believe that new ball bowlers with swing are a threat to everyone. He is the one I have always tried to avoid. When speaking exclusively to Star Sports, Star Cast analyst for the Mission World Cup, Finch remarked, “I think Trent Bolt, Mitchell Starc, and Rabada, these guys, especially Mohammed Siraj, he’s as good as anyone in the world at the moment.”

“I think [Ashwin’s decision] relies on how they anticipate the country’s playing surfaces, and by that point, I think the trick to selecting a team for the World Cup is to think of the back end. But you can’t spend too much time contemplating it because you need to arrive there, Finch said.

“I think he could struggle to reach the final 15, but as someone who has played so much cricket, I think the rest of the group who is with the Indian side for this current series against Australia, they might learn so much about big game play. Ashwin has demonstrated his ability to perform well in important games throughout his career, whether they be Test matches or T20 contests. So I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s mentoring the group right now, but I don’t see him making it to the last 15, regrettably,” he continued.

Faf du Plessis, a former captain of South Africa, also revealed his picks for bowlers who will be crucial to their teams’ World Cup success. He concurred with Finch’s selections and added Kuldeep Yadav, a spinner with the potential to flip the ball both ways, to his list of players.

It appears to depend on the wickets. If the wicket has anything in it, you know, someone like Mohammed Siraj who just nibbles the ball a little bit both ways and tries the off stump the entire time, could be able to get a wicket.

“Yes, I resemble Finch.  Boult, those types of people are going to succeed tremendously. Rabada, all those guys, but if there is just a little bit of spin, you know, someone like Kuldeep has bowled pretty effectively over the past six months. The next hitter is coming in, and when he gets his tail up and gets one wicket, you know, he’s fairly tough to face his first few balls because he spins the ball both ways,” said du Plessis.