Australia, who looked as firm favourites to win their record eighth-title in the ICC Women’s World Cup fell astonishingly short against India in the semifinal in Navi Mumbai. Former national coach Matthew Mott believes this setback could actually fuel a stronger comeback ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup that will take place in England. Instead of seeing the defeat as a sign of decline, Mott feels the current squad still has everything it needs to dominate world cricket again.
Australia’s exit against India in the recent World Cup continued an unusual trend for the champion side, they have now missed the final of two major ICC events in a row, something that hasn’t happened since 2009. It also leaves them without both the T20 and ODI world titles for the first time since 2017. With the next T20 World Cup just six months away, the upcoming Big Bash League season has suddenly become crucial in shaping their preparation.
Their challenge will be tough. Australia has been placed in the same group as India and South Africa, the very teams that knocked them out of the last two global tournaments. Add England and New Zealand to the mix, and the road to the trophy becomes even more demanding. No Australian women’s team has ever missed three consecutive global finals, which makes the coming months even more significant.
Mott, who guided the team through a major rebuild after the 2017 World Cup disappointment, does not believe a similar overhaul is needed now. Speaking in Sydney, he was full of confidence in the current squad: “It’s certainly no cause for panic stations … having watched from a distance, I think that the team’s as strong as it’s ever been.”
He added that while others may question the narrowing gap between Australia and other sides, his belief in the team remains untouched: “It’s up to outsiders to debate about the gap (between Australia and the rest of the world), but I still look at that Australian team and feel like it’s the best team in the world.”
Calling the team balanced and full of match-winners, Mott said they are close to their peak again: “I think it’s the most balanced, it’s got the most amount of match-winners. I think they’re not far off what they need to be. It’s going to hurt, but as we found in 2017 sometimes those things happen for a reason and can motivate you and kick you to even higher levels.”
He also expressed full faith in current head coach Shelley Nitschke: “Hopefully that’s the case. I’m sure Shelley Nitschke, who’s an outstanding coach, will get them back on track.”
Australia’s semi-final defeat this time came in a tournament where India finally rose to claim their first-ever senior women’s world title. Mott, who for years described India as the “sleeping giants” of women’s cricket, believes their win is a turning point.
Reflecting on the final, he said: “It’s an amazing thing in World Cups, sometimes the best team doesn’t win – and I’m not taking anything away from India, but Australia had a slightly off day … they put a good score out there, but India showed a lot of class to hunt it down.”
Even so, he firmly stands by Australia: “I still think Australia’s the best team in the world, and I’m not on my own there, but what (India winning) has done is lit the fire.”
Mott feels India’s rise is good not just for competition but for the global game overall: “We’ve all been waiting for India to come through … from a world cricket point of view, it’s a huge shot in the arm.”
He believes more teams are now capable of pushing for world titles: “I think as disappointing as it is (for Australia) I think that the game itself will be better for it. You’ve got a number of teams now that can really contest for the World Cup. South Africa have really emerged in the last couple of years as well (and) England will be better for the experience they’ve had (in India).”
Australia and India will face each other again soon, with a multi-format series scheduled in Australia from mid-February. As part of the summer calendar, Cricket Australia has announced the return of the Governor-General’s XI match. The GGs XI will take on the newly crowned world champions in a T20 clash at North Sydney Oval on February 13.
The GG’s XI fixture, a tradition in women’s cricket since 2015–16, has often featured emerging talent alongside established stars. The previous team, led by Nicole Faltum, played England in a 50-over warm-up ahead of the Ashes and included key Australian players like Alyssa Healy, Georgia Wareham, and Georgia Voll.
(Quotes sourced from cricket.com.au)
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