SWOT Analysis of England’s Squad selected for U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2023

The ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 is set to get underway on 14th January and will go on till 29th January 2023. It will be hosted by South Africa and will have 41 matches in total with the finals at the JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom.

The World Cup will feature 16 teams spread across four groups:-

Which group is England placed in U19 Women’s World Cup 2023?

England is in Group B with Pakistan, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe.

Does England have warm-up matches scheduled?

England has warm-up matches scheduled on the 9th of January where they defeated West Indies and on the 11th of January versus Indonesia.

What are England’s group-stage fixtures in U19 Women’s World Cup 2023?

What is England’s squad for the U19 Women’s World Cup 2023?

Ellie Anderson, Hannah Baker, Josie Groves, Liberty Heap, Niamh Holland, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Emma Marlow, Charis Pavely, Davina Perrin, Lizzie Scott, Grace Scrivens (Captain), Sophia Smale, Seren Smale, Alexa Stonehouse, Maddie Ward

Non-travelling reserves: Emily Churms, Charlotte Lambert, Bethan Miles, Jemima Spence, Mary Taylor

Let’s do a SWOT Analysis of England’s squad and objectively assess it all

Strengths

• Grace Scrivens as skipper: Grace Scrivens has been phenomenal and is an immensely talented all-rounder who has been dominating the domestic circuit with Sunrisers for the longest time. Having scored over 233 runs and scalping 12 wickets in her 12 T20I appearances since 2020, she has also scored 595 runs and taken 20 wickets in her List A appearances and is the right fit to lead the England side.

• Presence of experienced players: The squad boasts of experienced players who have played in The Hundred. Ryana MacDonald-Gay and Sophia Smale were a part of the victorious Oval Invincibles team while Hannah Baker turned out for Welsh Fire and Grace Scrivens has played for London Spirit. These players add a lot of solidity and balance to the squad and will be players to watch out for.

Weaknesses

• Has the team played enough together?: Perhaps the only real weakness that can be reflected upon is, has the team played enough together. One of the earliest squads announced, the squad has not played as a team except for the players who played in the Hundred, domestic and regional competitions and in the development squad as individual players so it will be interesting to see if the team comes together and puts up a commendable performance. Figuring out the right playing eleven might also be a challenge. In the Warm-up match versus West Indies, they looked formidable but it is too small a sample size to make do with.

Threats

• No real threats in the group stage matches: Realistically, England is placed in an easier group with Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and Pakistan. They really do not present themselves as real threats so England can expect to play good cricket and qualify easily for the Super Sixes stage. However, they should not let complacency creep in and keep the momentum going throughout.

• Injuries: England should be wary of injuries as these are new conditions and may take time to acclimatize so losing major players could hamper their prospects.

Opportunities

• To make a mark: Alice Capsey and Freya Kemp were not included in the squad which goes to show the team management’s faith in the squad chosen and the girls have it in them to make a statement and can do so in a remarkable fashion by comfortably sailing their way through the group stages and playing decisive cricket in the knockout stages.

• To go all the way: This is the inaugural U-19 World Cup and England has the pedigree and potential to go all the way and lay their hands on the silverware.

• To have a great learning experience: This can be a fantastic opportunity for the young girls to play as a team, gel well and also learn as much as they can from Chris Guest, the Head Coach, and with Assistants, Laura Marsh and Darren Franklin sharing their experiences and insights that can greatly shape this next crop of cricketers who will go on to play for England and can significantly contribute to the regional and domestic cricket set-up.

Neha Shetty

I am a first year postgraduate student pursuing a MA in Media and Communication Studies at Christ University, Bengaluru. I am a podcaster, blogger and an avid cricket fan. When not glued to cricket matches, you can find me submerged in books and thinking about cricket all the time.

Also Read:  Match 4: Northern Superchargers vs Trent Rockets | Squads | Players to watch | Fantasy Playing XI | Live Streaming | Pitch Report