With the T20 World Cup less than three months away, Australia legend Ricky Ponting has revealed his picks for the winner and the runners-up of the upcoming tournament.
The marquee event is scheduled to be played in Australia this year. This is the first time that the tournament will be held in Australia. The upcoming edition will be the eighth edition of the T20 World Cup.
The much-awaited event will be played in October and November. Australia are the defending champions and would be keen to defend their crown at home. No team has managed to win the ICC T20 World Cup at home so far and Australia have the opportunity to create history.
Ricky Ponting’s prediction for ICC T20 World Cup 2022:
Ahead of the tournament, Ricky Ponting has backed hosts Australia to win the ICC T20 World Cup 2022. The legendary cricketer also predicted that India would be the beaten finalists in the forthcoming edition. The 47-year-old has picked India and Australia as the finalists.
“I think India and Australia will be the two playing in the final and I will just have to say that Australia will beat them in the final,” Ricky Ponting said during the latest episode of The ICC Review.
“The reigning champions have got home conditions and that was one thing that made Australia’s win in the last World Cup, not remarkable but that little bit sweeter for them.
“The fact that a lot of people, me included, thought when they went to UAE, the conditions that they were going to have to face on the back of the IPL, I thought the conditions might have been the thing that might not have allowed them to win it. But they found a way,” he added.
Ponting further said that England have a strong outfit too. The two-time ODI World Cup-winning captain said that India, Australia and England will be the strongest teams in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022.
“I actually think England are an outstanding white-ball team and they have an outstanding white-ball set-up.
“I just think the three teams on paper that look to have the most class and the most match-winners are India, Australia and England,” said Ponting.