No clear favourite for World T20: Sthalekar

There’s no standout favourite for the upcoming Women’s World T20 in the Caribbean, former Australia captain Lisa Sthalekar believes, with even the lowest-ranked teams capable of pulling off major upsets.

The schedule for the event, which begins in Guyana on November 9, was released on Monday.

No.1 ranked Australia have drawn arguably the tougher group for the 10-team tournament, with third-ranked New Zealand and fourth-ranked India also on their side of the draw, alongside Pakistan and a yet-to-be determined qualifier.

Making up the other group are world No.2 England, the West Indies – who sit fifth in the multi-format rankings after a poor year in 50-over cricket but who are the defending World T20 champions – as well as South Africa, Sri Lanka and a second qualifier.

Each team will play four round matches and only the top two from each group will advance to the semi-finals, leaving little room for error.

“I don’t think there is a clear winner at the moment, you can’t say one country is the favourite,” Sthalekar told the Unplayable Podcast.

“There are probably two or three teams that could potentially win the trophy.

“It’s all about preparation for all the teams, who will be the best prepared, who can adapt the quickest and who can win the crucial moments.

“In T20 cricket it might just be two balls that make the difference between the winner and the loser.”

Australia, England and New Zealand, alongside hosts and defending champions West Indies, will be the most favoured teams to advance, but India and South Africa also loom as significant threats after breakthrough 50-over World Cup campaigns last year that saw them outperform the Southern Stars, White Ferns and Windies.

Meanwhile, Sthalekar believes the conditions at host venues Guyana, St Lucia and Antigua could aid the subcontinent teams.

“The T20 format has really narrowed the gap between the top four teams and the rest,” she said.

“In the Asia Cup recently Bangladesh beat India, Sri Lanka won some matches they weren’t expected to.

“The slow, low wickets might also allow a lot of the subcontinent teams to come back into the competition.”

Australia will aim to hit the ground running when they arrive in the Caribbean, but have a chance to prepare against New Zealand in a three-match T20I series on home soil from September 29-October 5, before an away ODI and T20 series against Pakistan the same month.

Wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy knows it will be a tough contest for Australia, who will be vying to win their fourth trophy from six events.

“The top six teams are all beating one another at the moment, so it could be chaotic come November,” she told the Unplayable Podcast.

“We’ll take confidence out of playing India recently and beating them and we’ve got a few games coming up against New Zealand so hopefully we can beat them and take confidence from that.

“The squad is in a nice place at the moment, so hopefully we can carry that on and come November we’ll be ready to rock and roll.”

It’s the first time the Women’s World T20 has been held as a standalone event and the ICC have confirmed every match of the tournament will be broadcast, while DRS will be used at the event for the first time.

Australia will host the next World T20, in February-March 2020, and Sthalekar hopes to see crowds and television audiences continue to grow.

“It’s great to have the women at the forefront as the main event and attraction,” she said.

“Fingers crossed the crowds get behind them.”

Commonwealth Bank T20I series v NZ 

September 29: First T20I, North Sydney Oval, Sydney

October 1: Second T20I, Allan Border Field, Brisbane

October 5: Third T20I, Manuka Oval, Canberra

Commonwealth Bank ODI series v NZ 

February 22: First ODI, WACA Ground, Perth

February 24: Second ODI, Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide

March 3: Third ODI, Junction Oval, Melbourne