Former pacer Stuart Broad believes India will be favorites for this year's World Cup while England will struggle to retain the title due to the difficult draw and schedule. India and England go into the competition in good form.

Former England pacer Stuart Broad has picked hosts India as hot favorites to win the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, starting October 5 in Ahmedabad. However, he felt that despite a balanced side it would be a difficult task for England. Defending champions England will play New Zealand in the opening match of the tournament at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Stuart Broad believes India will be favorites for the World Cup this year, while he also claimed that it will be difficult for England to retain the crown due to the difficult draw and hectic travel schedule during the tournament.

Both teams enter the competition in good form, with India winning the Asia Cup and the ODI series against Australia. England also recently defeated New Zealand in a four-match ODI series.

Broad said that if India plays the perfect tournament, they will be difficult to stop.

"If England manage to defend their World Cup title it will be a phenomenal achievement, but I firmly believe that if India plays their perfect tournament, they will be very difficult to stop." "Jos Buttler is on board "Certainly the team he can challenge, one with the ability to post high totals, but I just think India as hosts and the top-ranked ODI side will be an extremely difficult proposition to get past," wrote Broad in his column.

Broad also pointed to England's schedule during the tournament as they will play their nine round-robin matches at eight different venues. The former Pacer believes England would be desperate if they failed to reach the semi-finals and final of the tournament.

“Unlike England. Without sounding like I'm giving them excuses, they honestly have a pretty tough draw. You don’t play two games in the same place, you travel from city to city.”

“Others have the luxury of signing up for a week somewhere and playing two games. They don't do that. But the fact that every team plays every other in the round-robin phase means England would be absolutely desperate if they don't get through to the semi-finals and final," Broad said.