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Former South African spinner Imran Tahir has turned the heads with his prediction for the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup 2027. Imran Tahir has named India, Australia, England, and South Africa as his four semi-finalists for the upcoming tournament, leaving Pakistan out of his list.
The ICC ODI World Cup 2027 will be played from October 2 to November 21, 2027, with South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia jointly hosting the tournament.
Tahir made this prediction on the sidelines of the ongoing World Championship of Legends (WCL), where he is representing South African champions. Earlier, Aaron Finch predicts 2027 World Cup semi-finalists, snubs Pakistan and New Zealand.
Imran Tahir predicts ICC ODI World Cup 2027 semi-finalists, overlooks India for title
Imran Tahir predicted that Australia, England, India, and South Africa will make it to the semifinals of the ICC ODI World Cup 2027. Tahir then overlooked India as the strong contender for the World Cup glory, saying either South Africa or Australia will win the cup next year.
Tahir said in the Republicworld video on Instagram, “I think India, South Africa, Australia, and England will make it to the top four. I feel these four teams reach semifinals. And I think this is the best chance for South Africa to win this World Cup. If not, then I think Australia will lift the trophy. They have a strong team, and they are doing really well.”
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Imran Tahir says South Africa have a golden chance to win 2027 World Cup
Tahir believes that the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup 2027 could be a golden opportunity for South Africa to win the title in front of the home crowd.
The former spinner feels the Proteas will benefit from playing at home, where they will be familiar with the conditions. Amid this, Abhishek Sharma reveals what he wants to steal from Virat Kohli ahead of Ranchi T20I vs WI.
The veteran spinner said, as quoted by ANI, “One special thing is that they have their own league (SA20), which has been very successful. On top of that, they will be playing the World Cup at home, in familiar conditions. So, considering the way the South African team has been performing, I believe they are in a very good position to do well in this World Cup.”
South Africa’s young guns need more experience: Imran Tahir
The former spinner admitted that South Africa has a very talented group of players who have done well in filling the gaps left by past cricket legends. However, he feels the young team still needs more experience to become stronger.
Tahir also believes that South Africa has a strong group of young players and hopes they will continue to improve to become a powerful ODI side before the World Cup. He pointed to their away performances as signs of their progress.
He signed off by saying, “South Africa has always been blessed with talented players and a strong pool of young talent. The way they have performed away from home, including winning the World Test Championship and the ODI series, shows that they are playing very good cricket. I hope that over the next year or two, they will continue to develop into a very strong team, especially in the 50-over format, with the upcoming World Cup in mind.”
