SWOT Analysis of Australia Squad selected for ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 is set to get underway on February 10th and will continue until February 26th 2023. It will be hosted by South Africa and will have 23 matches in total at Boland Park in Paarl, and St George’s Park in Gqeberha, with the finals at the Newlands Cricket in Cape Town, South Africa.

The World Cup will feature 10 teams spread across two groups.

How is Australia placed for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup?

Australia is placed in group A along with the likes of Bangladesh, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka. They will square off against their Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand on 11th February; they then play Bangladesh and Sri Lanka on 14th and 16th February, respectively, and finally, South Africa on 18th February to cap off their group stage matches.

Australia’s fixtures

How did Australia fare in the last T20 World Cup 2020?

Australia has had a fantastic run in T20 World Cups since its inception, having won a record five times and will be looking to add this World Cup as well. When we focus on their performance from the last World Cup, they edged India out in the Finals at the MCG in a remarkable fashion and won the World Cup.

What is Australia’s Squad for Women’s T20 World Cup 2023?

Meg Lanning (c), Alyssa Healy (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

SWOT Analysis of Australia’s Squad for Women’s T20 World Cup 2023?

Strengths of the Australian squad selected for Women’s T20 World Cup 2023:

• Experienced campaigners: Australia is blessed with the presence of over nine members of their victorious 2020 World Cup team. Beth Mooney, Jess Jonassen, Ellyse Perry, Alyssa Healy and Megan Scutt have been with the team for a long period of time and with the youngsters, Tahlia McGrath, Darcie Brown, and Heather Graham also featuring in their maiden T20 World Cup squad; Australia has a strong squad with a unique blend of youth and experience that makes them one of a kind.

• The abundance of quality all-rounders: Australia has brilliant all-rounders who can chip in equally with the bat and the ball, making Australia undoubtedly one of the strongest outfits. Tahlia McGrath, Ashleigh Gardner, Ellyse Perry, and Annabel Sutherland, to name a few, are some of the many renowned all-rounders who will make it to any playing 11 easily

• Captaincy of Meg Lanning: Meg Lanning after her break has returned with a renewed sense of focus and determination and we saw her clinical she was with her astute and shrewd captaincy in the recently concluded Pakistan series and the other multination tournaments as well, so nothing less will be expected of her in the upcoming T20 World Cup as well.

Weaknesses of the Australian squad selected for Women’s T20 World Cup 2023:

• Absence of Amanda Jade Wellington: A shock exclusion of Amanda Jade Wellington from the squad for this World Cup certainly did raise some eyebrows as she has been in fine touch through domestic cricket and in the WBBL as well but not enough to warrant her place in the side. In the conditions at South Africa, her wily spin would have come in handy, but with the inclusion of Georgia Wareham, who has not played since 2021 owing to her injury, Australia has taken a massive gamble in the spin department as the onus will fall on Alana King to lead from the front, supported by Heather Graham and Georgia Wareham.

• Selection of a balanced playing 11: Although Australia has one of the strongest players in their squad, problems of abundance will pose to be a major concern for the team management to select a balanced playing eleven and then weighing the pros and cons of players and assessing the conditions will come in handy.

Opportunities of the Australian squad selected for Women’s T20 World Cup 2023:

• Heather Graham can make a mark: She was fantastic in the series versus India scalping crucial wickets and breaking crucial partnerships. This World Cup presents her with the perfect opportunity to excel and cement her place in the squad. With a few lusty blows in the latter stages of the games, she can be a dependable finisher if the situation asks for it, making her an asset for the team.

• Grace Harris and her inclusion: Making her mark in the domestic ecosystem and the WBBL, Grace Harris showed she belongs to international cricket with convincing and commendable performances in the series versus India. She will look to carry the same vein of form to the World Cup and excel.

• The pace battery: This World Cup is also the platform for the next-gen Aussie pacers in the form of Tahlia McGrath, Darcie Brown, Annabel Sutherland, and Kim Garth to own the stage and learn as much from the likes of Ellyse Perry and Megan Schutt to carry the rich heritage of pace bowling and put up good performances.

Threats of the Australian squad selected for Women’s T20 World Cup 2023:

• Injuries threat: Injuries are perhaps quite concerning for Australia as Alyssa Healy, Georgia Wareham, and Jess Jonassen, to name a few, were all injured before they made their way back to the team, and Australia would be looking to have all their first choice playing eleven players to be injury free and in the pink of their health for this World Cup campaign as they eye glory.

• Presence of New Zealand and South Africa: The presence of competitors in the form of New Zealand and South Africa and the threat they present themselves as, will be playing in the minds of the Southern Stars, who will look to avert them and qualify for the knockouts without much hassle.

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.