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Cape Town, February 9 (APP – UrduPoint News / Pakistan Point – 9th February, 2023 ): Defending champions Australia have undergone significant changes in their squad but remain the team to beat in the Women’s T20 World Cup which n start in Cape Town on Friday.
Meg Lanning’s side slipped to a surprise defeat to Ireland in a warm-up game on Wednesday but before that they had lost just once in 27 T20 internationals since March 2021.
That losing streak ended with a draw against India last December – they won all four of the remaining games in the series.
“Our squad has gone through a period of change since the last World Cup but I think that is positive,” said Lanning.
“We are constantly evolving and have great flexibility in our team with bat and ball.” Seven of the team that beat India in front of a world record crowd of 86,174 in the 2020 final in Melbourne are in the South African squad, including stars such as Lanning, Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner and Megan Schutt.
If anything, Australia have been bolstered by the inclusion of women’s cricket great Ellyse Perry, who was injured in the early stages of the 2020 tournament, while Tahlia McGrath has emerged as one of the game’s mainstays.
They have also found an exciting fast bowler in Darcie Brown, 19, and introduced former Ireland player Kim Garth.
From the cauldron of a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia will begin their title defense in calmer circumstances when they meet New Zealand in Paarl on Saturday, where they are likely to have to contend with a slow pitch.
They will also be against arch-rivals New Zealand, the only team to have beaten them since the 2020 World Cup, except in a great game over.
However, the White Ferns’ two wins were offset by Australia’s four wins.
– Competing attractions – Women’s cricket in Australia reached a peak in 2020 that is unlikely to be challenged in terms of crowd attendance in South Africa, where tickets for all matches remain available.
Advance sales for some matches have been promising, however, particularly for the opener between South Africa and Sri Lanka at Newlands on Friday and the final at the same ground on February 26.
The Women’s Premier League auction in India on February 13 will attract the attention of many players which has the potential to take some players into a new stratosphere of earnings, while those who are not bought will be disappointed.
The World Cup will also battle for a TV audience as it coincides with the final stages of the hugely popular SA20 men’s franchise competition.
The women’s matches are all in the coastal locations of Cape Town, Paarl and Gqeberha, while the SA20 semi-finals and final are inland in Johannesburg and Centurion.
Saturday’s SA20 final clashes with a double-header in Paarl, where England meet the West Indies before the Australia v New Zealand match.
The 10 teams in the T20 World Cup are divided into two divisions of five teams, with the top two in each division qualifying for the semi-finals.
Hosts South Africa will have to be at their best to get beyond Group A, where they will almost certainly have to beat Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as well as either Australia or New Zealand to progress.
England will be the favorites in Group B, which also includes India, West Indies, Pakistan and Ireland.