The Women’s Ashes is just around the corner, and the hype gets real during the lead-up when both England and Australia engage in verbal jousting. England’s Issy Wong led the pre-Ashes war of words, to which Australia’s women’s team skipper, Meg Lanning, has now responded.
Issy Wong, in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, recently described the Australian women’s team as “one of the greatest sports teams in history – in any sport and any gender,” and added, “But it feels like that kind of golden era they’ve had is, you know…” She stated that many new talented players in the team have not yet played significant roles.
Australia’s captain, Meg Lanning, responded to Issy’s comments, saying, “I did see that article and comments. I think it’s great. It’s going to be a really exciting series. England are playing a little bit of a different style, I guess. They’ve got a new coach as well and unearthed some new players within their squad, they’ve gone through a bit of change. So, we feel confident going over there.”
Meg Lanning expressed that the vibe in the team is a really good one and that they aim to continue pushing themselves. She emphasized the team’s goal of constantly improving to stay ahead of the game and the teams chasing them. Lanning believes that the upcoming Ashes series will provide a valuable early assessment of the team’s current position and progress.
Boasting just a solitary ODI and T20I loss since 2021, the Australian women’s team has showcased an exceptional level of dominance. Recognizing the difficulty of maintaining such dominance, star all-rounder Jess Jonassen admitted, “It’s always nice and enjoyable to win games and be out the front, but it’s really challenging to try and stay there.”
Later this year, Australia is set to embark on a tour of India for an all-format series. Commenting on the India-Australia rivalry, Jess Jonassen, stated, “Each season or each year adds something extra that you’re really looking forward to. For us last year it was the Commonwealth Games. And this year, it’s that idea of playing a Test match in India.”