The biggest women’s sporting event ever to be held Down Under kicks off on the 21st of this month in a year that sees Australia also host the Men’s World cup

Scheduled between 21st February and 8th March 2020, the seventh ICC Women's World T20 will from this edition be known as the T20 World Cup - a decision aimed at cementing its importance in the international cricket calendar and ensuring parity across all three formats of the game.

The standalone tournament, held six months ahead of the men's edition pits defending champions Australia against India in a blockbuster World Cup opening game at Sydney’s Showgrounds Stadium.

Played across Sydney, Perth, Canberra and Melbourne through a hectic 16-day period, the finale will be at the MCG on International Women's Day.

What's New? Third umpires will be solely responsible for front foot no balls...

Front-foot no-ball technology will be used for the first time in a major ICC tournament - trailed during the India vs West Indies series recently, the ICC says the third umpire will monitor the front foot landing position on each delivery and on-field umpires have been instructed not to call any front-foot no-balls unless advised to do so by the off-field official.

In the trialed 12 games, 4717 balls were bowled and 13 no balls (0.28% of deliveries) were called. All deliveries were judged accurately.

The decision comes at a time when umpires have been criticized for missing no-balls because of the ability to review decisions if a wicket falls. The changes will now see every ball reviewed, keeping bowlers honest during the World Cup.

Teams

The tournament features 10 countries - eight top-ranked teams based on finishing positions from the 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20 qualified automatically while Bangladesh and World Cup debutants Thailand progressed through the 2019 ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier.

Group A - Australia, New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka and Qualifier 1 (Bangladesh) 

Group B - England, West Indies, South Africa, Pakistan and Qualifier 2 (Thailand)

Girl Power To The Fore

Or rather Perry power hit the streets of Melbourne ahead of the tournament with the unveiling of a mural celebrating two of the world’s most famous ‘Perrys’; Australian cricketer Ellyse Perry and global pop superstar Katy Perry.

Both will play their part

Katy Perry will take the stage twice during the tournament - performing two songs to get the final underway followed by a one-hour post-match concert, with her full band, immediately following the match – her only performance in Australia whilst there.

Australian superstar Ellyse Perry, who was crowned the ICC Cricketer of the Year 2019 is the golden girl of Australian sport and is expected to play a big part in the tournament. A dual-international, Ellyse is the only Aussie to have appeared in both cricket and football World Cups.

GROUP A

Australia

Previous Best: Champions in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018

• Defending champs
• the most dominant side in the Women's T20 World Cup and looking to win their 5th title
• features 13 players from successful World Cup campaign in the Caribbean in November 2018
• Sophie Molineux returns after being recalled from her November hiatus to focus on her mental health
• uncapped teenager Annabel Sutherland in line for a World Cup debut

Squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Erin Burns, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy (wk), Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

India

Previous Best: Semi-finals (2009, 2010, 2018)

• Tournament favourites along with Australia and England
• full of genuine star players known the world over with an upward trajectory since ending up runners-up in the 2017 50-over World Cup
• in search of first crown after finishing as semi-finalists thrice in the six editions so far
• have only three players with competitive Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) experience - Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and Veda Krishnamurthy
• the likes of Deepti Sharma and Jemimah Rodrigues have featured in the Kia Super League (KSL) last year but compared to the number of internationals from the other sides that regularly feature in popular T20 events across the globe, fall pretty short
• teenagers Shafali Verma (15) and Richa Ghosh (16) provide a fresh, fearless brand of cricket

Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Veda Krishnamurthy, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Deepti Sharma, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Rajeshwari Gaekwad, Richa Ghosh

New Zealand

Last Time: Group stage | Previous Best: Runners-up (2009, 2010)

• On a hellish streak at ICC events that includes missing the semi-finals of the 2017 ODI Cup and the 2018 T20 event
• led by Sophie Devine in place of regular skipper Amy Satterthwaite, who recently gave birth to her first child with fellow White Fern Lea Tahuhu
• Tahuhu returns after maternity leave
• Bates and Devine at the heart of the side have both played in every Women’s T20 World Cup
• includes two uncapped players in Jess Kerr – the sister of leg-spinner Amelia – and Lauren Down, while Rosemary Mair makes her World Cup debut

Squad: Sophie Devine (c), Suzie Bates, Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Holly Huddleston, Hayley Jensen, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Katey Martin, Katie Perkins, Anna Peterson, Rachel Priest, Lea Tahuhu

Sri Lanka

Previous Best: First round (2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018)

• On a shock run in T20I’s having won 23 of their 69 T20I’s played thus far - Losing 10 consecutive matches
• Chamari Athapaththu with a bagful of big scores against Australia leads the side
• Atapattu and Siriwardene are two who have performed at the highest level for several years and will be a source of inspiration for the rest, including young players such as Thimashini

Squad: Chamari Atapattu (c), Harshitha Madavi (vc), Anushka Sanjeewani, Hansima Karunaratne, Shashikala Siriwardene, Nilakshi De Silva, Ama Kanchana, Kavisha Dilhari, Udeshika Probodhani, Achini Kulasuriya, Hasini Perera, Sathya Sandeepani, Umesha Thimashini, Sugandika Kumari, Dilani Manodara.

GROUP B

England

Last Time: Runners-up | Previous Best: Winners (2009)

• All familiar names and no uncapped players in the squad
• Sarah Glenn’s emergence apart, the side is the same that struggled against Australia just six months ago
• powerful batting line up with Danielle Wyatt, Tammy Beaumont, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Lauren Winfield, Sciver and Fran Wilson forming the core
• six players from WBBL|05 late last year
• lost to Australia in the 2018 final and will have a point to prove after disappointing Ashes campaign last year

Squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Sophie Ecclestone, Georgia Elwiss, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones (wk), Nat Sciver, Anya Shrubsole, Mady Villiers, Fran Wilson, Lauren Winfield, Danni Wyatt

Pakistan

Previous Best: Group stage (2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018)

• Surprise exclusion of former captain Sana Mir from the squad - the team’s highest wicket-taker in T20s. The 34-year old has featured in every edition of the T20 World Cup till date
• only Nida Dar has any kind of WBBL experience from the side 
• led by Bismah Maroof and deputy Javeria Khan
• uncapped 15-year-old Ayesha Naseem included

Squad: Bismah Maroof (c), Javeria Khan, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Nida Dar, Aimen Anwar, Muneeba Ali, Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Ayesha Naseem, Fatima Sana, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal, Anam Amin, Iram Javed, Syeda Aroob Shah

 South Africa

Last Time: Third in group | Previous Best: Semi-finalists (2014)

• Perennial underperformers - only once in six editions advancing to the knockout stages and coming away winners in just eight of their 23 fixtures to date
• enters the tournament as one of the key contenders to watch out for
• comprises 11 players from the 2018 World Cup
• four debutants
• frontline are established names in T20 leagues around the globe - eight players with Big Bash experience, including Chloe Tryon (Hurricanes), Shabnim Ismail (Thunder), and Mignon du Preez and Lizelle Lee (both Stars) who were all part of WBBL|05
• Dane van Niekerk, who has played the shortest form of the game for around a decade leads

Squad: Dane Van Niekerk (c), Laura Wolvaardt, Lizelle Lee, Mignon Du Preez, Marizanne Kapp, Sune Luus, Chloe Tryon (vc), Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Tumi Sekhukhune, Trisha Chetty, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Nadine De Klerk, Nondumiso Shangase

 Thailand

Unknown entity making their ICC T20 World Cup debut after a brilliant campaign in the qualifying tournament last year

• Untested at the top level. Teams will be coming at them with bat and ball with a power and skill they will have seldom seen 
• stuff of legends - a splendid 2019 where they won a record 17 consecutive T20Is
• Players to watch: Chanida Sutthiruang, named ICC Women's Emerging Player of the Year late in 2019 and leg-spinner Suleeporn Laomi who developed her trade in Australia on the Big Bash Associate player’s scheme and returned there with an ICC Women’s Global Development squad. Also has the best arm in the side

Squad: Sornnarin Tippoch (c), Nattaya Boochatham, Wongpaka Liengprasert, Phannita Maya, Ratanaporn Padunglerd, Onnicha Kamchomphu, Naruemol Chaiwai, Chanida Sutthiruang, Nannapat Koncharoenkai, Soraya Lateh, Rosenanee Kanoh, Thipatcha Puttawong, Suleeporn Laomi, Natthakan Chantham, Suwanan Khiaoto

 West Indies

Last Time: Semi-finals | Previous Best: Champions (2016)

• 2016 Champs when WI won the female, male and U-19 World Cups
• eight members have featured in the XI that chased down Australia's target of 149 in the 2016 final
• since the 2018 competition have been on a downward spiral that currently sees them winless in their last 11 fixtures
• marks the return of Windies skipper Stefanie Taylor and veteran all-rounder Deandra Dottin who were ruled out of the side due to injuries for over a year
• Lee-Ann Kirby makes comeback after 12 years
• Dottin, captain Stafanie Taylor and allrounder Hayley Matthews have played in the WBBL

Squad: Stafanie Taylor (c), Anisa Mohammed (vc), Deandra Dottin, Hayley Matthews, Chedean Nation, Lee Ann Kirby, Britney Cooper, Shemaine Campbelle, Chinelle Henry, Afy Fletcher, Shamilia Connell, Shakera Selman, Sheneta Grimmond, Cherry Ann Fraser, Aaliyah Alleyne

Bangladesh

Previous Best: First round (2014, 2016, 2018)

• The dark horses were emphatic winners in the recently concluded quadrangular series in India
• terrible record at the T20 World Cup, winning only one of their 12 matches
• have only recorded two T20I wins over India in 11 attempts and have never faced opponents New Zealand and Australia
• led by veteran Salma Khatun
• experienced all-rounder Rumana Ahmed returns after a brief injury sabbatical

Squad: Salma Khatun (c), Rumana Ahmed (VC), Jahanara Alam, Shamima Sultana, Murshida Khatun, Ayesha Rahman, Nigar Sultana, Sanjida Islam, Khadija-Tul-Kubra, Panna Ghosh, Fargana Haque, Nahida Akhter, Fahima Khatun, Ritu Moni, Sobhana Mostary

#FillTheMCG The Big ACB – ICC Game plan
With the final at the historical MCG capable of seating in excess of 90 thousand people, the Australian Cricket Board and ICC are teaming up to bring in a record crowd for the event - 95 thousand plus to be exact. This has never happened in Women’s sport before. The record for a women’s sporting event was set at the 1999 World Cup soccer final when 90,185 people crammed inside a California stadium.

In its support of the vision, Tourism Australia is using social media to drive awareness for women’s cricket and encourage visitation to Australia for the event with the hashtag #LedByWomen.

This movement has been supported by Indian Friends of Australia Sanjeev Kapoor and Harsha Bhogle and influencers like Mithali Raj (Captain of the Women’s One Day International India cricket team), ex-Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist, chefs Vicky Ratnani, Kunal Kapur, noted photographer Atul Kasbekar and cricket commentator Ayaz Memon, amongst others.

Collectively these influencers have over 22 million followers on social media.

Apart from Katy Perry performing at the finals, the just concluded Tri-series between India, England and Australia was used to spread the word as well.

Whether the MCG can bring in the biggest crowd in the history of women’s sport might depend to some degree on Australia’s own success. Recent years would suggest that there is a fair chance; they have won 76.56 per cent of their games since the competition began and four of the last five titles. Can they add a fifth? We’ll soon find out.

FULL SCHEDULE

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