NEW DELHI: The Girls’s T20 World Cup 2024 is simply across the nook, and pleasure is build up worldwide for this much-anticipated cricketing spectacle. Six-time champions Australia enter the event brimming with confidence and are thought-about agency favourites to defend their title.
India, in the meantime, want to construct up on the fiery begin to their World Cup marketing campaign as they beat West Indies and South Africa in convincing style 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 potentialities of upsets in the course of the multi-nation occasion.
An avid ladies’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 ladies’s cricket from the most effective seat within the commentary 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 assume that it might make any change to the methods that groups had been making earlier than?
I feel it is an fascinating one as a result of they modified it (the host) earlier than the groups had been introduced, in order that was a very good step within the first place. The crew that I do know very effectively, the England aspect, wished to attend till there was affirmation over the place it might be.
However I feel on the choice aspect, it has had a little bit little bit of an affect, as a result of if you happen to have a look at a crew like England, they’ve clearly gone fairly all out and out with a fairly spin-heavy assault, they usually solely bought one out-and-out pacer in Lauren Bell, whereas you have a look at the Australians, they usually have gone a little bit bit extra seam-heavy than England.
So I feel groups are kind of eyeing it up otherwise. However I do assume it would make a distinction as a result of it is not going to be as a lot of a turning state of affairs as it might have been in Bangladesh.
However having mentioned that, it’s nonetheless, clearly, extremely popular all 12 months spherical. It is going to flip much more than it does someplace like England and maybe Australia. So I feel it has been fairly a headache for selectors and groups to have a look at their choice after which actually assume how they are going to curate that for the change in venue.
I feel one thing else that has actually impacted it’s maybe the kind of publicity round it. Someplace like Bangladesh, it might have been a very proud second for them to have the ability to host it and for his or her followers to have the ability to become involved and get behind their aspect. And it is one thing that basically impacts the Bangladesh crew. Whereas transferring to Dubai and Sharjah, it is not going to have fairly the identical sort of crowd issue or the thrill issue.
And I feel that is going to be actually tough as a result of we noticed final 12 months in South Africa, it simply had such an unbelievable following, the Girls’s T20 World Cup coming off the again of the Beneath-19 World Cup there. And likewise, clearly, the one we noticed again on the MCG (in the course of the India vs Australia Girls’s T20 World Cup ultimate in 2020) after we bought out all these data in that crowd.
So I feel that the one factor that I am nearly unhappy about with this transformation of venue is the truth that it is not going to have that kind of pizzazz that you just may hope a ladies’s event would and may have in 2024.
Q) UAE can be extra pleasant to the batters…
I undoubtedly assume there’s going to be extra attacking batting concerned. I feel we will see a lot increased scores than we’d have seen in Bangladesh. I feel it was going to be extra of a bowler’s sport 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 canines 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 feel for them, they most likely would not have been too upset by the truth that it is transferring 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 assume, as a lot because it pains me to say as an English individual, that Australia are nonetheless the favourites. They’ve simply bought such a properly balanced aspect and to have the ability to miss folks like Jess Jonassen and Amanda-Jade Wellington however nonetheless have the unbelievable expertise they have in there.
Even with out Meg Lanning today, they’re such a well-balanced aspect. They’re effectively captained by Alyssa Healey. We all know what she will do, particularly beneath the stress of a World Cup. All of us noticed her again in New Zealand within the 2022 World Cup ultimate towards 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 without end in a day. So they have such a well-balanced aspect, however I feel 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 feel we’re in for a number of surprises. Perhaps it will not be Australia which can be on the top of them, however there are going to be a number of groups who come out actually preventing and provides a number of surprises. I would not be shocked if Sri Lanka booked themselves a spot in that semi-final, having seen numerous them recently.
Clearly, they got here out on prime in that Asia Cup just some months in the past. I then noticed them in Eire taking part in Eire after that. And they have a really robust aspect. They have some actually good bowlers in there and the likes of Harshitha and Chamari up the highest with the bat as effectively are actually spectacular.
Q) India have lately gone very near some titles, but they had been to this point, what do you assume has been the difficulty?
Successful turns into a behavior. And likewise failing to win turns into a behavior. So with India, they kind of get themselves into the proper place after which fail at that ultimate hurdle, whereas Australia know even once they get themselves into that stress state of affairs, they know win from these conditions. And that is one thing the place India have actually struggled.
In 2017, they nearly had their identify etched on that trophy at Lord’s, they usually nonetheless managed to lose from that state of affairs. Sure, there was some unbelievable bowling from Anya Shrubsole, but it surely was of their grasp they usually nonetheless did not fairly recover from that line. There are ten hurdles, then you may’t simply do 9 of them; you have to do this ultimate one.
So I feel for them, it is about simply discovering that final push. And when you begin profitable, it turns into such a behavior and also you get into that mentality of understanding that it is okay, we’re on this state of affairs, we will come again from this.
England went over there (to India) on the finish of final 12 months, they usually actually dominated in that white ball within the T20Is. Sure, India got here out firing and completely annihilated England within the Check match. However with regards to T20 cricket, they only have not fairly bought that edge in the meanwhile.
It’s enhancing as a result of clearly, we have issues just like the WPL and gamers attending to be a part of these actually aggressive event 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 just some months in the past, they bought themselves there (in Sri Lanka). Everybody had mainly written their identify on the trophy earlier than it began after which they bought really fairly effectively and really overwhelmed (by Sri Lanka) within the ultimate. So it is about looking for that profitable 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 this planet?
I’d say that to get to the ultimate, India have to fireplace 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 certain what it’s but.
If Deepti flies like she will, she goes to have an actual affect, however they only cannot lose their heads. We all know Harmanpreet can lose her head typically, and she or he’s bought to guide from the entrance and actually information this crew. They have such expertise and expertise in that aspect. However for me, I see India going out within the semi-final.
Q) If we speak in regards to the lesser-known stars, who can be these gamers to be careful for?
Everybody has to maintain an eye fixed out for and somebody I really know rather 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 12 months, and she or he impressed there. However I hate to make use of the phrase affiliate nations, however that is what they’re referred to as. However she is an actual star all-rounder. She leads from the entrance. When Scotland are in hassle, she’s the sort of individual that they will flip to. They will thank her loads 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 ultimate. However she’s one which I’d say actually hold your eye on, whether or not it’s simply useful runs barely decrease down the order or the way in which she will get the ball to maneuver. I feel she’s going to be an actual key participant for Scotland and she or he’ll be a very 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 assume Pakistan are missing in the meanwhile?
In the meanwhile, Pakistan cannot fairly discover the system that they need. They’ve had a number of captains out and in. They’ve now bought a brand new, recent, very younger captain in Fatima Sana, which I feel is de facto thrilling, the thought of getting a younger captain.
However she would 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 guide a aspect, particularly somebody like Pakistan, who’ve struggled as of late.
They bought effectively and really overwhelmed by England earlier this summer season. At one level, that they had England 35/three after which they (Pakistan) nonetheless bought completely destroyed there. So that they do have their flashes of brilliance, however they only 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 would not carry out towards Pakistan, they have another person who’ll come up by and I feel they have that kind of killer intuition that I feel a number 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 sport with some unbelievable piece of labor within the area or take an unbelievable catch. After which Aliya Riaz with the bat as effectively. Nida Dar clearly in there. You speak about giving 110%, and I feel that is one thing they really want to do as a result of as I mentioned earlier than, additionally they only have gotten into this dropping behavior, particularly towards the likes of India.
Q) You might have seen the England squad very carefully. What are England’s probabilities this time?
Clearly, as an English individual, I hope they might make the ultimate. England have gotten a fairly handsome aspect, however having watched them or stored up with what they had been doing in that warm-up sport towards Australia, nobody apart from Alice Capsey, prime scorer with 40 runs, the issue that England have that they get themselves in and get themselves out.
However once they hearth on their day, they actually could be a actual drive to be reckoned with. The twins of Sophie Ecclestone and Sarah Glenn are going to be so necessary for England on this event.
Clearly, Sophie Ecclestone, I imply, she might 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 type, bowling her leg spin, it is simply unbelievable. And really, numerous the England gamers carried out rather well this summer season in The Hundred, which I feel is one thing that is going to be actually necessary coming into this event as a result of they have that have beneath their belt, the current expertise and confidence coming off that. Somebody like Heather Knight as effectively, she was in nice type in The Hundred. So that they’re coming into it with numerous gamers in good type. They gel rather well as a crew. That is one thing so necessary, particularly once you’re touring. If Danni Wyatt and Maia Bouchier can hearth on the prime and set a very good basis for England, they are going to be a really tough aspect to outscore.
Q) Who’re your greatest darkish horses within the event?
Sri Lanka are fairly a darkish horse. West Indies are kind of using much more beneath. 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 beneath the radar as effectively, they usually have not bought as well-established a ladies’s construction.
One thing just like the WPL coming by for them, it is much more spectacular what they’re reaching as a aspect. However then the West Indies, they’re a type of groups. They only appear to know flip up once they flip it up. And if mainly for the West Indies, if Hayley Matthews fires, they will do effectively. And if she would not, they are going to have a purple one.