On Thursday, former English cricketer, Kevin Pietersen reckons that the weather in England will play a crucial role in the team lifting the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, which is scheduled to commence on May 30. However, he also expressed that the teams from subcontinent will be the frontrunners to lift the coveted trophy.
Describing the same, Pietersen said,
“I think it is going to be weather dependent. It was one of the hottest summers recorded in the UK. There was literally hardly any rain at all. Conditions were extremely dry. Playing in England, over the last many ever years, the conditions have changed. So, when I started playing for England in 2004, there was not that sub-air system underneath the grounds to take out all the moisture. Before the sub-air system came into the ground, if a huge rainstorm came across, that will be the day washed out.”
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Pietersen then cited an example to discuss how the sub-air system has affected the wickets in England.
The veteran cricketer explained,
“So, all the grounds employed it (sub-air system) – the Trent Bridges, the Birmingham, the Lord’s, which started it, and then it went to all the Test grounds to make sure they maximize the amount of time that (the match) was played. If the storm came through, the sub-air system will drag all the moisture and within an hour, they will mop up and you are back out playing. However, it has had an impact on the wickets.”
While the South Africa-born England cricketer did express that the hosts England are the favorites, with their approach of hitting a six from ball one, the seaming and swinging conditions, like the ones in West Indies can bring England’s downfall.
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Pietersen further explained,
“That being said, if the conditions are like they were the last summer, then the subcontinent teams are going to have a massive role to play in the World Cup. The one downside for the England though is that they have the license to go and hit out a six from the ball one and in those kinds of conditions, it is actually difficult, if it is swinging and seaming to have that license to go out there and mow it because we have seen in West Indies.”
