Australia's first and overall seventh Women's T20 World Cup will take place between 21st February to 8th March 2020, with matches to be held in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Canberra.
Red-hot favourite Aussies are looking confident to retain the trophy.
Coach Matthew Mott’s 15-member strong squad has had a flawless preparation leading up to the World Cup and are the heavily backed favourites to lift the trophy again. Thirteen out of 15 players played in the last T20 World Cup which suggests their dominance in the sport over the last few years.
Star-studded experienced Aussie players such as Ellyse Perry, Alyssa Healy and Rachael Haynes will lead Australia’s charge for their fifth title. Daughter of former Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland and sister of Victorian all-rounder Will Sutherland, Annabel Sutherland will have her T20 World Cup debut.
England and New Zealand are the balance sides and are not far behind the Aussies, while India will rely on their strong batting line up, 2016 world cup champions West Indies team is full of surprises and can win any matches on their given day. It will also be interesting to see how Thailand will perform in their World Cup debut.
Australian is hosting Women's T20 World Cup Source: Michael Dodge/Getty Images
SBS Gujarati asked cricket experts from different backgrounds to discuss the growth of the women’s game, seek their tips on the players to watch for, and their overall prediction.
“ICC T20 Women’s World Cup being held Australia is a great win for the country," says National Chair – Women in Business Australia India Business Council Sheba Nandkeolyar.
“Defending champions Australia are obviously placed well and at the top of the rankings. The girls are in a great form and can beat any team on the given day.
She also hopes for fourth-placed India to do well in the T20 World Cup and says she believes the Indian team will rely heavily on batting sensational Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, while Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry have an ability to turn the match in Australia’s favour.
NSW’s contracted player and Sydney thunder’s all-rounder Arjun Nair says Australia will clinch the trophy once again and Alyssa Healy will be the key player to watch out for.
Well-knows cricketing personalities in NSW shares their opinions. Source: Supplied
Assistant coach of Sydney Sixers and English pro – a cricketer who played 108 first-class matches Mitchell Calydon bats for English team to win the World Cup. He says, Sophie Ecclestone is a world-class spinner and she will get a good turn and bounce on Australian pitches. Apart from Ecclestone, Amy Jones and Danni Wyatt are the key players for England.
According to one of Australia’s best scorers Ian Wright, “Current champions and host Australia are the favourites to win the 5th championships." He believes Perry, Healy and Lanning are the players to many of the others are capable to stand up on their day.
Bangladesh women’s cricketer Hannatul Sumona says, “Alyssa Healy who holds a record of highest T20 score of 148 (in just 61 balls) and Ellyse Perry who has scored more than 1000 runs and took more than 100 wickets in T20 will be the players to watch from Australia.”
While in the pace bowling department the likes of Katherine Brunt of England, Shabnim Ismail & Mazizane Kapp of South Africa will be the key players for their respective teams.
Cricket NSW Board subcommittee member Jessica Henry says, “We have seen extraordinary growth in the women’s sports in last five years as the game of cricket is growing in other countries.”
Well-knows cricketing personalities in NSW shares their opinions. Source: Supplied
“Otherwise, who would have thought we would see Thailand playing in the World Cup?”, she asks.
Alyssa Healy, Smriti Mandhana and Sophie Devine and Chamari Atapattu are the players who can win the matches for their team, ended Jessica.
On the other hand, cricket umpire and recently umpired in WBBL, Peter Tate believes, batting skills have certainly improved a lot of ad bowlers are capable of bowling with variety.
He says, T20 cricket is the funny game and anything can happen, but Australia are the strong favourites to win the competition.
Source: AAP Image/James Ross
According to a promising young wicket-keeper batsman Aiden Bariol, “Defending champions Australia are the favourites to win the tournament as they know how to win important games.”
Indian women’s team schedule
- India Vs Australia February 21
- India Vs Bangladesh February 24
- India Vs New Zealand February 27
- India Vs Sri Lanka February 29
Australian women’s team schedule
- Australia Vs India February 21
- Australia Vs Sri Lanka February 24
- Australia Vs Bangladesh February 27
- Ausrtralia Vs New Zealand March 2
** Chinmay Mehta has been an Umpire with the NSW Umpire’s Association since 2011. The views expressed in this article by the personalities are their own views.
