SWOT Analysis of Ireland 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, 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 Ireland placed for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup?

Ireland is placed in Group B with England, India, Pakistan and West Indies.

What are Ireland’s fixtures?

What is Ireland’s squad for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2023?

Laura Delany (captain), Georgina Dempsey, Amy Hunter, Shauna Kavanagh, Arlene Kelly, Gaby Lewis, Louise Little, Sophie MacMahon, Jane Maguire, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Eimear Richardson, Rebecca Stokell, Mary Waldron.

SWOT Analysis of Ireland’s squad for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2023

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

• Laura Delany as skipper: As a skipper, Laura Delany, a smart and astute leader, will lead a young side whose average age is 24 years in this T20 World Cup sojourn. Not qualifying for the event in 2020 hurt their prospects, and this will be their first appearance at the World Cup after the 2018 edition.

• Expertise brought in by the support staff: Ireland has the likes of former international cricketer Ed Joyce to coach them, and in 2022, under his tutelage, they won eight T20Is, the most wins notched by them in a calendar year in women’s cricket.

• Win versus Pakistan in the lead-up to the World Cup: Coming in with the boost of having defeated Pakistan 2-1 in a T20I series, they will be riding high on confidence and translate it to dominant performances at the World Cup.

• Win against Australia in the warm-up: One of the biggest positives for them entering this World Cup was the win against Australia. That has certainly made them a team to watch out for.

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

• Inexperience of the squad: One of the areas that might nag Ireland is how their squad is inexperienced, but they make up for it through their exuberant talent. 2022 was a remarkable year for them with respect to exposure and registering crucial wins and this World Cup, they would wish to carry it forward.

Opportunities for the Ireland squad selected for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2023

• To make a statement in this World Cup: This World Cup is a perfect platform for Ireland to make a statement that they belong to mainstream cricket and are not just another associate team. If they are able to register some wins and play quality cricket, they can create a legacy unmatched.

• Watch out for Amy Hunter and Gaby Lewis: The talented duo have made the right noises so far with their stupendous performances, and this World Cup, they can cause ripples in the international arena versus top-flight teams as well.

Threats for the Ireland squad selected for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2023

• The presence of tough competition: One of the obvious threats for them will be the presence of tough competition in the group stages as England, Pakistan, West Indies and India will test them on all levels, and for them to come out on top, they will have to play a different brand of cricket.