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The 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is about to begin in South Africa, and the defending champions Australia are the favourites to win the marquee event. Aussies so far have clinched five Women’s T20 World Cup titles and seem to be the biggest challenge for other participants in the tournament.
Australia played 27 T20 Internationals (T20I) since March 2021 and won all of those games except one, which clearly shows their sheer dominance in the shortest format of the game. The only defeat the Women in Yellow faced came in a super over against India in December last year.
Australian squad for the 2023 T20 WC features seven such players that were part of their 2020 title-winning team. In that World Cup final, Australia defeated India at the jam-packed Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to lift the trophy.
Meg Lanning – who will lead the Australian side in the 2023 world cup, has opened up about the changes in the team and termed it positive.
“Our squad has gone through a period of change since the last World Cup but I think that is positive. We’re constantly evolving and we have great flexibility in our team both with bat and ball,” Lanning was quoted saying in TOI.
The return of star all-rounder Ellyse Perry into the Australian set-up has furthermore strengthened the team. Due to an injury, Perry missed the business end of the previous ICC event. The inclusion of young all-rounder Tahila McGrath and promising fast bowler Darcie Brown will also add more muscle to the Australian team.
As far as the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup is concerned, a total of ten teams are competing for the coveted trophy and have been divided into two groups. Group A includes hosts South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Australia. Meanwhile, Group B consists of India, England, West Indies, Pakistan and Ireland.
Australia will start their title defence in Paarl on Saturday (February 12), where they will be up against New Zealand.
Australia squad:
Meg Lanning (c), Alyssa Healy (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham.
