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England‘s women cricket team skipper Heather Knight is bracing for quieter-than-expected stadiums at the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, following the tournament’s late venue shift from Bangladesh to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Originally set to take place in Bangladesh, the tournament was moved due to ongoing civil unrest in the region. While the England squad remains confident, the team anticipates different on-field conditions and lower crowd attendances in Dubai and Sharjah.
Adapting to empty stands
Knight acknowledged the anticipated difference in crowd turnout between Bangladesh and the UAE. Reflecting on their past experience during the 2014 World Cup in Bangladesh, she highlighted the passionate fan support they had received, particularly in Sylhet.
“It’s going to be a bit different. There definitely would’ve been bigger crowds in Bangladesh,” Knight said, adding that the change is something the team will need to mentally prepare for.
With England scheduled to play three of their group-stage matches at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium and their final group fixture at the Dubai International Stadium, the absence of large crowds could be a new challenge for the team.
“Some people thrive off the noise and the energy from the crowd… But it is what it is, and obviously safety and things like that are probably the most important things,” Knight emphasized.
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Focus shifts to conditions in the UAE
Despite the challenges off the field, Knight expressed confidence in England’s preparations. The squad has spent the past 18 months planning for a spin-heavy strategy that was tailored for the conditions in Bangladesh. However, the team is now adjusting to the new setting in the UAE, which could offer slightly different conditions.
“It’s obviously a shame for the Bangladesh team that they’re not going to have a home World Cup. But I think it’s probably the right decision… the conditions will be slightly different, but not hugely,” Knight said, backing the ICC’s decision to move the tournament.
Training camp in Abu Dhabi
To mitigate the effects of the venue change, England will embark on a three-week training camp in Abu Dhabi, starting on September 13, well ahead of their opening World Cup match. The training camp will help the team adapt to the conditions in the UAE, which have rarely hosted women’s T20I matches. Sharjah, for example, has only staged 10 women’s T20Is, with the most recent match held in 2017, while Dubai has hosted just five.
Given the limited women’s cricket data from the UAE, England are relying on statistics from men’s matches to inform their strategies.
“There’s obviously not been a huge amount of women’s cricket there, so you’re going off men’s stats,” Knight acknowledged, highlighting the team’s cautious approach to not over-plan based on unfamiliar conditions.
