India will feel the heat at Champions Trophy

If India could do well at the upcoming Champions Trophy in England and Wales, it would take some attention off the spot-fixing scandal that has erupted at home.

But if they don’t…

We discussed India’s prospects with cricket expert Ayaz Memon, and he said that India as a team are struggling — and it goes without saying that the spot-fixing investigation has added some pressure to the squad.

“India’s players will be under a lot of pressure. They are going to feel the heat. They will be watched closely. The biggest challenge will be for MS Dhoni and guys like Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma and Ishant Sharma.”

Moving away from the negativity surrounding the IPL scandal, Memon is excited to witness the eight-nation tournament where every team has an equal chance of winning.

“The IPL is a domestic tournament. A club tournament so to speak. T20 has bumped the Champions Trophy off the radar — but I think at this point of time, it has become very interesting — eight teams, all in with a chance.”

He also mentioned that West Indies and South Africa were his favourites to win the tournament: “West Indies are best equipped. In fact, the IPL, has in a way helped the West Indies to recoup and regroup. They will have a good chance. But South Africa still look the strongest team — they are the best fielding team. There will be no Jacques Kallis but Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and the bowling unit is very, very good.”

Apart from the immediate impact of the tournament, Memon also took a moment to consider its future repercussions: “Teams are looking to get ready for the 2015 World Cup and this tournament will give them a good idea of where they stand. It will be interesting to see the contours that will emerge from this tournament for 2015.”

Watch the video above for the full conversation between Ashish Magotra and Ayaz Memon