Former England captain Kevin Pietersen disclosed that he had bet on India winning the World Cup 2023 final against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on November 19, but unfortunately lost the wager. Pietersen also expressed disappointment with England’s performance in the tournament.
“Unfortunately, when you come up against Australia like I have done many times Australia is a formidable competitor and they have the ability to turn up the heat in the final and get the job done,” he said
“They are very competitive guys and unfortunate for India, Australia were brilliant on the field and brilliant with the ball. And when they came out to bat, 230 or 240 was never ever enough,” he added.
“I said before the tournament when India was playing against England in Guwahati that these are the two finalists, no one ever expected what happened to England,” he further said.
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Kevin Pietersen praises Legends League Cricket
The 43-year-old, currently involved in the Legends League Cricket tournament, praised the chance the league provides retired players to return to the field as active participants. The tournament features six Legends League teams comprising over 100 former international players, and it is currently in its third leg.
The revived Maulana Azad Stadium is hosting the event after a hiatus of more than three decades. The inaugural match of the four-game series took place at the 20,000-capacity stadium under floodlights on Monday, with the remaining three matches slated for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
“It (Jammu) is amazing. I have been travelling a lot in India for the last 20 years and this is my first time in Jammu, looking forward to playing a game (today) and tomorrow night as well,” Kevin Pietersen said.
Pietersen appeared somewhat disheartened by the low-scoring match on Monday, expressing the view that spectators prefer to witness competitive cricket where former players actively engage in the game.
“The wicket is not good for T20 cricket. You want to see more runs than see the balls rolling along the ground. Let us see if the wicket is better (for the next match) that will be good. For the teams to finish the game in the 20th over as a few (matches) had gone, it is great for the competition,” Pietersen said.
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