All the 10 skippers of ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 gathered for the media launch today on Monday 17 February 2020 at at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney Australia.
The 2020 edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup will be the most competitive so far, and the price couldn’t have been higher in the end.
A world record for a women’s sports game could be set when the final takes place on March 8th in Melbourne, International Women’s Day. Those responsible want to bring their country to the MCG.
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As host and defending champion, Australian captain Meg Lanning knows the expectations more than most, but with the chance to play in legendary stadiums, she is keen to see her team enjoy this experience and not worry.
“We’re looking forward to the launch. It’s great that we can reach all of our fans across the country and get them a chance to see what a great tournament is going to be,” she said. “We want to enjoy the experience of playing in front of friends and family.
“It is a unique opportunity to play at a homeworld championship. It takes pressure and expectation, but every team wants to win as we do.”
Lanning’s team will meet India at the tournament opener on February 21st. India would like to build on the achievements it achieved with the 2017 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Final.
Harmanpreet Kaur will take over the reins in Australia – in order to make optimal use of the experience of three years ago. “Our team is growing day by day, everyone looks so positive,” she said. “It will be very big if we win. I was very surprised by the 2017 reaction.”
“My parents didn’t tell me, they didn’t want us to feel the pressure. If we win, it will be very big for us. We will try to do our best.”
Hats 🤠
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) February 17, 2020
Wallabies 🦘
Cricket 🏏
The #T20WorldCup skippers have truly arrived in Australia! pic.twitter.com/RLkxgm0nBc
What Meg Lanning Said?
There is a lot of experience in Group A, not least from Sri Lanka’s captain Chamari Athapaththu, one of the few players in world cricket who have a better record than their format average against Australia. “I’m just playing my natural game, I’ve always seen myself as a positive cricket player and played freely – and that’s all it takes,” she said.
“We played Australia last summer, we learned a lot about them and what makes them the best team in the world. We will try to play positive cricket – our dream is to reach the semi-finals. “
While Athapaththu has a wealth of captain experience, this is the first appearance in the role of New Zealand’s Sophie Devine, who is an opponent in her first game in Perth. Despite her beginner status as a team leader, Devine already knows the approach she wants to take with the White Ferns.
“Captaincy is a great honor, but I’m a player like the rest of my team, so I have to keep doing my job and performing for my teammates,” she said. “I know that cricket can be a really moody game – you have to overcome the ups and downs of the game, and if I can stay nice and calm it makes it even more special.”
Group A is rounded off by Bangladesh, which wants to build on an improvement in recent years that has led Salma Khatun’s team to defeat India in the Asia Cup.
She said: “The Asia Cup was a great experience, but the focus is now on the World Cup. We want to focus on New Zealand and Australia. Our U19 team recently won the World Cup and we are looking forward to the start. “
what Dane van Niekerk said?
Group B has two previous T20 World Cup winners, one of whom is England – winner of the opening competition in 2009. Heather Knight was not part of the squad at the time, but did bring her team back to the glory of the Women’s World Cricket Championship in England 2017, to notice similarities between the preparations for this competition and now.
“We had a great experience in 2017 that was unique in terms of expectations,” she said. “There is a lot of dynamism in this competition, similar to the time. I went for coffee in Sydney and saw Ellyse Perry’s face next to three different buses!
“They want to be tested at a world championship and find ways to improve and learn. The tri-series was excellent for that – we’re now ready to get started.”
The other former champions are West Indies that prevailed in 2016 but missed their home tournament two years ago. Australia spoiled the party on this occasion, but Stafanie Taylor insists that revenge is not part of her psyche before the event in 2020.
“We really try to focus on our own game and play our best cricket,” she said. “We played a lot in the hall because of the terrible weather and we are looking forward to getting started.”
In the meantime, South Africa is one of the outsiders in this World Cup – a day that Dane van Niekerk thinks is the Proteas. And since Siya Kolisi led the men’s rugby team to the World Cup last year, the skipper doesn’t have to look long for inspiration.
She said: “Nelson Mandela said that sport can unite a nation, and we as athletes do that. We try to bring people together.” When we do something special like Siya, a dream comes true and that makes it special. “
Who'd the captains like to play in #T20WorldCup final?
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) February 17, 2020
Stafanie Taylor ➞ 🏴
Heather Knight ➞ 🇹🇭
Sophie Devine ➞ 🇿🇦
Meg Lanning ➞ 🇮🇳
Harmanpreet Kaur ➞ 🇦🇺
Chamari Athapaththu ➞ 🇦🇺
Salma Khatun ➞ 🇦🇺
Sornnarin Tippoch ➞ 🇦🇺
Dane van Niekerk ➞ 🇦🇺
Bismah Maroof ➞ 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/dY1UmKb4eq
Pakistan has also failed to realize its full potential in ICC competitions. A setback captain, Bismah Maroof, believes that something could change this time. But it’s off-field work as opposed to performing skills that she considers most important.
“It is important for us to find the right attitude. We are working on the mental side of our game and therefore we want to be in a good mood before the first game,” she said. “We miss big moments at the World Championships, we have to create opportunities for ourselves, live in the moment and try not to think about the big stage.”
The tenth and final team in Australia is Thailand, which has already made history by qualifying for a global event for the first time. Far from making up the numbers, Sornnarin Tippoch’s side has not stopped smiling since her arrival and has already warmed the hearts of people around the world. The challenge now is to bring cricket to those who learn about the game at home.
She said, “I’m nervous now! We’re very excited to be here for the first time. We’ll try to play our best cricket and we’ll show how we play the game. People at home don’t know me, some know cricket, but it’s not on TV, they’ll follow us on Instagram and Facebook and they’ll know about our game. ”
