India, Oct. 12 -- India will need to field a robust bowling attack at the ODI World Cup in southern Africa late next year because the matches are likely to be played on pitches that will be far better to bat on than in the past, former India batter Mohammad Kaif said on Monday.

Kaif was a key middle-order batter and an ideal foil to Yuvraj Singh's flamboyance when India reached the final of the 2023 edition, the last time the 50-over World Cup was staged mainly in South Africa. The upcoming edition will also feature games in Zimbabwe with Namibia hosting some preliminary games.

"The conditions have become much better in South Africa, there are a lot of batting-friendly pitches. So, I don't think bowlers will dominate. I feel batters wil...