Kolkata: With only days until the Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022, it will be interesting to watch if Australia, the dominant nation, can reclaim the elusive championship. Other nations, such as India and the West Indies, who have previously made it to the finals but failed to win the championship, might win their maiden title this season.
While Sportslight Media pondered India’s odds of winning their maiden trophy this season, we looked at the top three teams who may dominate the season when eight teams will lock horns in a 31-match tournament with the final in Christchurch on April 3.
- Australia- (1978, 1982, 1988, 1997, 2005 and 2013)
Starting with the most successful team of this tournament history lifting the trophy on six occasions of the 11 World Cup events. The Australians are out for vengeance after losing in the semifinals, and their skipper, Meg Lanning, claims the team has improved since then. The Southern Stars had just thrashed England in the multi-format Ashes series, with Lanning’s side winning all three One-Day Internationals. And they’ll definitely start their campaign with full power to reclaim the trophy this time.
SQUAD: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Darcie Brown, Nic Carey, Ash Gardner, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington.
2. England- (1973, 1993, 2009, 2017)
Alongside Austalia, the inaugural winners of this event have been the most successful side. England, the defending champions and four-time World Cup winners, will be headed by Heather Knight, the 2017 World Cup winner. Veterans Nat Sciver, Katherine Brunt – Player of the Match in the most recent final – Anya Shrubsole, and Tammy Beaumont, who won Player of the Tournament in the 2017 tournament, are still a vital part of the team.
Since the last tournament, a number of young players have established themselves in the England ODI squad, including wicketkeeper Amy Jones, batter Sophia Dunkley, and spinner Sophie Ecclestone, among others. England have been building towards the tournament with precise planning and would try to defend their title in style.
SQUAD: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone, Tash Farrant, Amy Jones, Emma Lamb, Nat Sciver (vc), Anya Shrubsole, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danni Wyatt.
3. New Zealand- (2000)
This season’s hosts finished third with one title in 2000, which was held in New Zealand. Considering the team’s home ground and the fact that they won their first and only championship by defeating Australia in the final at Lincoln by four runs. It’s possible that history will repeat itself this time. Recently, New Zealand had defeated India 4-1 in ODI series.
SQUAD: Sophie Devine (c), Amy Satterthwaite (vc), Suzie Bates, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Melie Kerr, Frankie Mackay, Rosemary Mair, Katey Martin, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu, Georgia Plimmer
4. India
The Women in Blue had come agonizingly close to the elusive trophy twice, finishing runners up to Australia in 2005 and to England in 2017. Although England defeated India in 2017 by nine runs in front of a sold-out crowd at Lord’s, a number of young players have established themselves since then.
Giving players like Deepti Sharma, Harmanpreet Kaur, Shafali, and Smriti Mandhana more leeway to set the tone at the top. With the veteran experience of skipper Mithali and the entire team being one unit, India could aim for their maiden world cup title.
SQUAD: Mithali Raj (c), Harmanpreet Kaur (vc), Smirti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Yastika Bhatia, Richa Ghosh, Taniya Bhatia, Sneh Rana, Jhulan Goswami, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh Thakur, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav
