Girls’s T20 World Cup 2024: England look ‘very sturdy’ however holders Australia nonetheless ‘the aspect to beat’ | Cricket Information

Sky Sports activities’ Nasser Hussain seems to be forward to the 2024 Girls’s T20 World Cup, assessing England’s probabilities of ending their 15-year look forward to a second title, in addition to holders Australia’s hopes of securing a seventh success.

How are England trying heading into World Cup?

They have a really sturdy staff, a great mix of youth and expertise.

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Saturday fifth October 2:30pm

And clearly they are going to wish to go not less than one stage higher than once they bought knocked out within the semi-finals final yr to hosts South Africa.

I lined that World Cup and England positively had been rather more attacking – they’ve been ever since Jon Lewis has been head coach… and it seems to be prefer it’s turning into rather more pure to them.

They have good spin choices, which I believe you want in ladies’s cricket, and for the situations within the UAE, with Sharjah and Dubai the 2 venues.

The video games are double-headers, and I discovered that within the males’s T20 World Cup held within the UAE [in 2022], it was very toss-dependent due to the dew, which implies you are likely to bowl first after which chase below lights.

With the bat, Alice Capsey is again to her finest. It seems to be nearly like she suffered final yr from nearly second-season syndrome – folks work you out just a little bit and you must deal with being that type of famous person that everybody is speaking about in English cricket.

In addition to Capsey, you’ve got then bought the expertise of Danni Wyatt and Nat Sciver-Brunt, and the skipper Heather Knight is in nice type too. She had a superb Hundred, lifting the trophy for London Spirit at Lord’s.

The captain enjoying effectively I at all times assume is vital. In the event you consider somebody like Meg Lanning traditionally, when she’s captained Australia, you lead from the entrance.

Talking of Australia, England bought quite a lot of confidence off the again of beating Australia – who’re nonetheless the aspect to beat – within the white-ball a part of the multi-format Ashes collection final yr.

What do you make of the squad they’ve chosen?

They have these three high quality spin choices.

Sophie Ecclestone continues to be the primary bowler on this planet on this format, and then you definitely’ve additionally bought Sarah Glenn and Charlie Dean… the three of them are completely excellent.

They’ve additionally bought one other spin possibility within the squad as effectively in Linsey Smith. She is a superb choice, giving England one other spin choice to bowl within the powerplay – she was completely magnificent in The Hundred, bowled economically and had wicket-taking potential.

The one factor I would say is, how typically are they going to choose 4 spinners and have her within the staff?

They left Lauren Filer – tall, quick bowler – out of the squad, and I’ll have gone with that possibility just because I at all times prefer to take folks within the squad who will play within the staff.

You’ve got already bought three spinners and if it actually turns, you’ve got at all times bought Capsey as effectively, who bowls a little bit of off-spin.

Will Australia’s dominance proceed?

With Australia, the expectation is to only win. That is the identical with any Australian aspect in a World Cup, males’s or ladies’s.

It isn’t a case of, ‘we bought by way of to a closing and the opposite aspect performed effectively’. That doesn’t occur.

I bear in mind being on the protection in South Africa final yr once they gained the ultimate and saying, ‘that is the most effective cricketing aspect we have seen – males or ladies’.

I believe Tammy Beaumont mentioned it may very well be the most effective ever sporting aspect, given the quantity they’ve gained and their dominance over the previous decade or so – Commonwealth Video games, 50-over World Cups, T20 cricket and The Ashes.

Regardless of the format, they’re serial winners.

That mentioned, I believe they do miss Meg Lanning. I believe there was a slight drop off since her retirement due to her significance to that aspect, the best way she led and the best way she batted.

This can be a first main event with Alyssa Healy in cost. She has to concentrate on retaining, opening the batting and captaining, so the important thing for her is to have the ability to compartmentalise all of that and do it effectively.

She’s a unbelievable participant, so I believe if Healy has a great event, that may go a great distance in direction of Australia profitable – as a result of as she beneficial properties confidence, that may then filter by way of to the staff.

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What do you make of the opposite groups’ prospects?

I’d nonetheless take a look at the 4 semi-finalists from final time, England, South Africa, India and Australia. They’re the 4 powerhouses.

There are not any simple video games although. Different sides have some particular person brilliance inside their groups, just like the West Indies with Hayley Matthews.

I’d additionally control Sri Lanka, with Chamari Athapaththu and a number of the youthful women who’re enhancing exponentially in that squad.

I’ve additionally seen that with Pakistan, they’re beginning to attempt to play extra aggressively, notably with the bat.

I’ve at all times felt with the Pakistan ladies’s aspect, with the ball and within the discipline, they’re glorious, however should you rating over 140 or 150 in opposition to them, they wrestle to match that with the bat.

Not too long ago in opposition to South Africa, I famous they bought an enormous rating, and that tells me they’ve had an actual change of mindset. It will likely be fascinating to see how they do.

Do England have the better draw?

Group A seems to be barely tougher, however what you possibly can’t afford is to have that mindset going into the event of ‘we’re within the simple group’ and begin trying ahead to the semi-finals.

I am positive Heather and the staff, and head coach John Lewis, is not going to assume that approach in any respect, as a result of should you do you possibly can come unstuck in a event.

You may simply lose one sport, particularly in T20, the shorter the format – it simply takes one participant to have an absolute blinder with bat or ball and also you’re effectively up in opposition to it.

Then, should you’ve misplaced one, immediately your group would not look as simple, as a result of each sport thereafter turns into must-win.

Watch each match of the 2024 Girls’s T20 World Cup stay on Sky Sports activities, beginning with the event opener between Bangladesh and Scotland on Thursday October 3 in Sharjah and concluding with the ultimate in Dubai on Sunday October 20.