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

Sky Sports activities’ Nasser Hussain seems to be forward to the 2024 Ladies’s T20 World Cup, assessing England’s possibilities 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 wanting heading into World Cup?

They have a really robust staff, an excellent mix of youth and expertise.

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And clearly they are going to wish to go at the least one stage higher than once they acquired knocked out within the semi-finals final 12 months 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 changing into rather more pure to them.

They have good spin choices, which I feel 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 greatest. It seems to be virtually like she suffered final 12 months from virtually second-season syndrome – folks work you out just a little bit and it’s important to address being that type of celebrity that everybody is speaking about in English cricket.

In addition to Capsey, you have then acquired 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 suppose is vital. For those who consider somebody like Meg Lanning traditionally, when she’s captained Australia, you lead from the entrance.

Talking of Australia, England acquired numerous 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 sequence final 12 months.

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

They have these three high quality spin choices.

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

They’ve additionally acquired one other spin choice 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 might say is, how typically are they going to select 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 choice just because I at all times prefer to take folks within the squad who will play within the staff.

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

Will Australia’s dominance proceed?

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

It is not a case of, ‘we acquired by way of to a ultimate and the opposite aspect performed effectively’. That doesn’t occur.

I keep in mind being on the protection in South Africa final 12 months once they received the ultimate and saying, ‘that is the perfect cricketing aspect we have seen – males or ladies’.

I feel Tammy Beaumont stated it could possibly be the perfect ever sporting aspect, given the quantity they’ve received 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 stated, I feel they do miss Meg Lanning. I feel there was a slight drop off since her retirement due to her significance to that aspect, the way in which she led and the way in which she batted.

This can be a first main match with Alyssa Healy in cost. She has to deal with protecting, 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 implausible participant, so I feel if Healy has an excellent match, that can go a great distance in direction of Australia successful – as a result of as she beneficial properties confidence, that can 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 aren’t any straightforward 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 ladies who’re enhancing exponentially in that squad.

I’ve additionally seen that with Pakistan, they’re beginning to attempt to play extra aggressively, significantly 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 if you happen to rating over 140 or 150 towards them, they battle to match that with the bat.

Not too long ago towards South Africa, I famous they acquired a giant rating, and that tells me they’ve had an actual change of mindset. It is going to be fascinating to see how they do.

Do England have the simpler draw?

Group A seems to be barely tougher, however what you may’t afford is to have that mindset going into the match of ‘we’re within the straightforward group’ and begin wanting ahead to the semi-finals.

I am positive Heather and the staff, and head coach John Lewis, won’t suppose that approach in any respect, as a result of if you happen to do you may come unstuck in a match.

You may simply lose one recreation, 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 towards it.

Then, if you happen to’ve misplaced one, immediately your group would not look as straightforward, as a result of each recreation thereafter turns into must-win.

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