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Unfinished business: Mott eyes major prizes

Matthew Mott did not have to think twice when it came to extending his run in charge of Australia's women, with a host of major events on the horizon

The lure of unfinished business made it a simple decision for Matthew Mott renew his tenure at the helm of the world’s best cricket team, with two events in particular at the top of his cricket bucket list.

Mott has signed a new two-year contract, ensuring he’ll remain in charge of Australia’s women until at least September 2023, extending a run that started when he took charge of the team in early 2015.

With a golden generation of talent at his disposal, Mott has already overseen two T20 World Cup wins and Australia have had the Ashes safely in their keeping since his first campaign in mid-2015.

Mott’s contract had been timed to expire at the end of the 2021 ODI World Cup, but the postponement of the tournament in New Zealand to early 2022 made extending a no brainer.

"It was always my intent to re-sign ... I'm incredibly fortunate considering what's going on in the world to have this sort of stability for the next couple of years for for me and my family which is really important," Mott said on Friday.

"There's a lot of unfinished business from a team point of view, so I'm absolutely ecstatic to confirm around the next couple of years, and looking forward to working with a very dedicated staff group and a group of players to achieve some more success."

It is the one that got away – the ODI World Cup – that continues to drive him, combined with the opportunity to play for a gold medal at next year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where women’s cricket will make its debut appearance.

Australia were red-hot favourites to win the last 50-over World Cup in England in 2017, only to be bundled out in the semi-final in a shock upset to eventual runners-up India.

Mott’s team have dropped just one ODI since and are currently on an unprecedented 24-game winning streak in the format.

"You don't want to get too far ahead of yourself and that Indian series (in September and October) is huge, but we've made no (secret) about the fact that 2017 was our crucible moment as a team," he said.

"It was that loss that spurred us on over the last couple of years.

"That World Cup in New Zealand, it felt like it was Christmas put back last year (when it was postponed) and it was frustrating for us as a playing and coaching group, we're despite to play that."

With multi-format home series against India and England this summer before that World Cup in New Zealand, and another T20 World Cup in South Africa to follow hot on the heels of the Commonwealth Games, Australia will have little downtime throughout the next two years.

But after two winters spent at home, Mott and his playing group are itching to return to action, with their season to start against India in September and October.

Tickets for that series – which includes the first Test against India in 15 years – and the Ashes go on sale on July 5.

"It's going to be a busy few years and I think we'll still look back on this year with a bit of frustration, because we haven't played a lot of cricket and we really wanted to build on that momentum from the 2020 T20 World Cup in Melbourne (but) we've had time to reset recalibrate and and just look forward to a big couple of years ahead as a group," Mott said.

2021-22 Women's International Season

Commonwealth Bank Women's Series v India

Sep 19: First ODI, North Sydney Oval (D/N)

Sep 22: Second ODI, Junction Oval

Sep 24: Third ODI, Junction Oval

Sep 30 – Oct 3: Test match, WACA Ground (D/N)

Oct 7: First T20, North Sydney Oval

Oct 9: Second T20, North Sydney Oval

Oct 11: Third T20, North Sydney Oval

Commonwealth Bank Women's Ashes v England

Jan 27-30: Test match, Manuka Oval

Feb 4: First T20, North Sydney Oval

Feb 6: Second T20, North Sydney Oval

Feb 10: Third T20, Adelaide Oval

Feb 13: First ODI, Adelaide Oval

Feb 16: Second ODI, Junction Oval

Feb 19: Third ODI, Junction Oval