NEW DELHI: The Girls’s T20 World Cup 2024 is simply across the nook, and pleasure is increase worldwide for this much-anticipated cricketing spectacle. Six-time champions Australia enter the match brimming with confidence and are thought-about agency favourites to defend their title.
India, in the meantime, wish to construct up on the fiery begin to their World Cup marketing campaign as they beat West Indies and South Africa in convincing trend within the warm-up fixtures.The Harmanpreet Kaur-led unit is positioned in a stiff group which additionally options Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, and there are numerous prospects of upsets through the multi-nation occasion.
An avid girls’s cricket fanatic Georgie Heath, a Marylebone Cricket Membership (MCC, house owners of Lord’s Cricket Floor) Basis ambassador who has been all around the world overlaying girls’s cricket from one of the best seat within the commentary packing containers, had a candid chat with TimesofIndia.com on sidelines of Legends of Cricket.
Edited excerpts:
Q) Initially, the venue for the T20 World Cup was Bangladesh. Then, it was shifted to the UAE. Do you suppose that it could make any change to the methods that groups have been making earlier than?
I believe it is an fascinating one as a result of they modified it (the host) earlier than the groups have been introduced, in order that was a very good step within the first place. The group that I do know very nicely, the England aspect, needed to attend till there was affirmation over the place it could be.
However I believe on the choice aspect, it has had a little bit little bit of an influence, as a result of if you happen to have a look at a group like England, they’ve clearly gone fairly all out and out with a fairly spin-heavy assault, and so they solely bought one out-and-out pacer in Lauren Bell, whereas you have a look at the Australians, and so they have gone a little bit bit extra seam-heavy than England.
So I believe groups are kind of eyeing it up otherwise. However I do suppose it’ll make a distinction as a result of it is not going to be as a lot of a turning state of affairs as it could have been in Bangladesh.
However having mentioned that, it’s nonetheless, clearly, very popular all yr spherical. It’ll flip much more than it does someplace like England and maybe Australia. So I believe it has been fairly a headache for selectors and groups to have a look at their choice after which actually suppose how they’ll curate that for the change in venue.
I believe one thing else that has actually impacted it’s maybe the kind of publicity round it. Someplace like Bangladesh, it could have been a extremely proud second for them to have the ability to host it and for his or her followers to have the ability to get entangled and get behind their aspect. And it is one thing that basically impacts the Bangladesh group. Whereas shifting to Dubai and Sharjah, it is not going to have fairly the identical form of crowd issue or the thrill issue.
And I believe that is going to be actually tough as a result of we noticed final yr in South Africa, it simply had such an unbelievable following, the Girls’s T20 World Cup coming off the again of the Below-19 World Cup there. And in addition, clearly, the one we noticed again on the MCG (through the India vs Australia Girls’s T20 World Cup closing in 2020) after we bought out all these data in that crowd.
So I believe that the one factor that I am nearly unhappy about with this alteration of venue is the truth that it is not going to have that kind of pizzazz that you just would possibly hope a girls’s match would and may have in 2024.
Q) UAE could be extra pleasant to the batters…
I undoubtedly suppose there’s going to be extra attacking batting concerned. I believe we will see a lot greater scores than we’d have seen in Bangladesh. I believe it was going to be extra of a bowler’s recreation in Bangladesh, whereas that is going to be weighted barely extra in the direction of the batting aspect.
You have bought some actually explosive batters as a part of this World Cup. Not simply out of your large canine like your England, Australia, and India. You have bought the likes of Chamari Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama in Sri Lanka. So there are some actually spectacular batters in there. And I believe for them, they most likely would not have been too upset by the truth that it is shifting to someplace that’s barely extra batter pleasant.
Q) Who’re wanting just like the favourites to win this World Cup?
Oh, it is such a boring reply as a result of I nonetheless suppose, as a lot because it pains me to say as an English particular person, that Australia are nonetheless the favourites. They’ve simply bought such a properly balanced aspect and to have the ability to miss individuals like Jess Jonassen and Amanda-Jade Wellington however nonetheless have the unbelievable expertise they have in there.
Even with out Meg Lanning nowadays, they’re such a well-balanced aspect. They’re nicely captained by Alyssa Healey. We all know what she will do, particularly below the strain of a World Cup. All of us noticed her again in New Zealand within the 2022 World Cup closing in opposition to England. So she’s main the aspect out. And so they’ve nonetheless bought Elise Perry, who appears to have been haunting anybody that is not Australia for perpetually in a day. So they have such a well-balanced aspect, however I believe there are going to be groups that do give them a push.
England clearly did not fairly carry out like they could have hoped they’d in that warm-up match getting fairly convincingly overwhelmed (by Australia). However I believe we’re in for a couple of surprises. Possibly it will not be Australia which are on the top of them, however there are going to be a couple of groups who come out actually preventing and provides a couple of surprises. I would not be stunned if Sri Lanka booked themselves a spot in that semi-final, having seen numerous them currently.
Clearly, they got here out on prime in that Asia Cup only a few months in the past. I then noticed them in Eire taking part in Eire after that. And they’ve a really sturdy aspect. They have some actually good bowlers in there and the likes of Harshitha and Chamari up the highest with the bat as nicely are actually spectacular.
Q) India have not too long ago gone very near some titles, but they have been thus far, what do you suppose has been the problem?
Profitable turns into a behavior. And in addition failing to win turns into a behavior. So with India, they kind of get themselves into the fitting place after which fail at that closing hurdle, whereas Australia know even after they get themselves into that strain state of affairs, they know methods to win from these conditions. And that is one thing the place India have actually struggled.
In 2017, they nearly had their title etched on that trophy at Lord’s, and so they nonetheless managed to lose from that state of affairs. Sure, there was some unbelievable bowling from Anya Shrubsole, however it was of their grasp and so they nonetheless did not fairly recover from that line. There are ten hurdles, then you’ll be able to’t simply do 9 of them; you have to try this closing one.
So I believe for them, it is about simply discovering that final push. And when you begin successful, it turns into such a behavior and also you get into that mentality of figuring out that it is okay, we’re on this state of affairs, we are able to come again from this.
England went over there (to India) on the finish of final yr, and so they actually dominated in that white ball within the T20Is. Sure, India got here out firing and completely annihilated England within the Check match. However relating to T20 cricket, they simply have not fairly bought that edge for the time being.
It’s bettering as a result of clearly, we have issues just like the WPL and gamers attending to be a part of these actually aggressive match conditions much more than they did earlier than. However they just do appear to maintain failing on the final hurdle.
For instance, that Asia Cup only a few months in the past, they bought themselves there (in Sri Lanka). Everybody had principally written their title on the trophy earlier than it began after which they bought truly fairly nicely and actually overwhelmed (by Sri Lanka) within the closing. So it is about looking for that successful behavior and simply that final push, the final ingredient. You may make a cake, but when you have not bought the flour in there, then it is not going to rise.
Q) The place do you see India end this time on the planet?
I’d say that to get to the ultimate, India have to fireside on all cylinders and in addition pull one thing fairly unbelievable out of the bag. They’ve a very good aspect, however there’s simply one thing lacking and I am simply not fairly positive what it’s but.
If Deepti flies like she will, she goes to have an actual influence, however they simply cannot lose their heads. We all know Harmanpreet can lose her head generally, and she or he’s bought to steer from the entrance and actually information this group. They have such expertise and expertise in that aspect. However for me, I see India going out within the semi-final.
Q) If we discuss in regards to the lesser-known stars, who could be these gamers to be careful for?
Everybody has to maintain an eye fixed out for and somebody I truly know very well is Kathryn Bryce. She is clearly captaining that Scotland aspect, and she or he actually has completely shone for Scotland for such a very long time now.
She was picked up within the WPL this yr, and she or he impressed there. However I hate to make use of the phrase affiliate nations, however that is what they’re often called. However she is an actual star all-rounder. She leads from the entrance. When Scotland are in hassle, she’s the form of person who they will flip to. They will thank her so much for qualifying, even for this World Cup. They beat Eire in that semi-final, which few noticed coming. Sure, they then misplaced to Sri Lanka within the closing. However she’s one which I’d say actually preserve your eye on, whether or not it’s simply helpful runs barely decrease down the order or the way in which she will get the ball to maneuver. I believe she’s going to be an actual key participant for Scotland and she or he’ll be a extremely fascinating one to maintain an eye fixed out for.
Q) Speaking about general sporting rivalry, everyone knows how large India vs Pakistan is. What do you suppose Pakistan are missing for the time being?
In the meanwhile, Pakistan cannot fairly discover the formulation that they need. They’ve had a couple of captains out and in. They’ve now bought a brand new, contemporary, very younger captain in Fatima Sana, which I believe is basically thrilling, the thought of getting a younger captain.
However she does not have that have. She’s a really quietly spoken and wonderful participant and lady, a very nice human. However I do not know if she fairly has that killer intuition you need as a captain, to steer a aspect, particularly somebody like Pakistan, who’ve struggled as of late.
They bought nicely and actually overwhelmed by England earlier this summer time. At one level, that they had England 35/3 after which they (Pakistan) nonetheless bought completely destroyed there. In order that they do have their flashes of brilliance, however they simply have not bought a full unit that comes collectively and works collectively, whereas India are such a well-oiled machine. They know that when somebody does not carry out in opposition to Pakistan, they have another person who’ll come up by means of and I believe they have that kind of killer intuition that I believe a couple of of the Pakistan gamers are maybe lacking a little bit bit.
There are some actually thrilling skills in there. You have clearly bought the likes of Diana Baig, who can change a recreation with some unbelievable piece of labor within the subject or take an unbelievable catch. After which Aliya Riaz with the bat as nicely. Nida Dar clearly in there. You discuss giving 110%, and I believe that is one thing they really want to do as a result of as I mentioned earlier than, additionally they simply have gotten into this dropping behavior, particularly in opposition to the likes of India.
Q) You might have seen the England squad very intently. What are England’s possibilities this time?
Clearly, as an English particular person, I hope they may make the ultimate. England have gotten a fairly handsome aspect, however having watched them or saved up with what they have been doing in that warm-up recreation in opposition to Australia, nobody aside from Alice Capsey, prime scorer with 40 runs, the issue that England have that they get themselves in and get themselves out.
However after they fireplace on their day, they actually could be a actual power to be reckoned with. The twins of Sophie Ecclestone and Sarah Glenn are going to be so vital for England on this match.
Clearly, Sophie Ecclestone, I imply, she may bowl on a carpet and possibly get anybody out. She’s simply an absolute world-class game-changer. However Sarah Glenn, when she’s on kind, bowling her leg spin, it is simply unbelievable. And truly, quite a lot of the England gamers carried out very well this summer time in The Hundred, which I believe is one thing that is going to be actually vital coming into this match as a result of they have that have below their belt, the latest expertise and confidence coming off that. Somebody like Heather Knight as nicely, she was in nice kind in The Hundred. In order that they’re coming into it with quite a lot of gamers in good kind. They gel very well as a group. That is one thing so vital, particularly while you’re touring. If Danni Wyatt and Maia Bouchier can fireplace on the prime and set a extremely good basis for England, they’ll be a really tough aspect to outscore.
Q) Who’re your largest darkish horses within the match?
Sri Lanka are fairly a darkish horse. West Indies are kind of using much more below. So if I am gonna have a darkish horse that is Sri Lanka. Clearly, I’ve spoken about how spectacular they’ve been as of late and kind of flying below the radar as nicely, and so they have not bought as well-established a girls’s construction.
One thing just like the WPL coming by means of for them, it is much more spectacular what they’re attaining as a aspect. However then the West Indies, they’re a type of groups. They simply appear to know methods to flip up after they flip it up. And if principally for the West Indies, if Hayley Matthews fires, they will do nicely. And if she does not, they’ll have a crimson one.
