Australia are downplaying their status as red-hot favorites at the Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand, with coach Matthew Mott saying they cannot hope to cruise to a seventh title.
Mott said the nine-wicket loss in the warm-up match against the hosts this week took away any complacency among the Aussies, describing it as the “perfect tonic” for their players.
“It was a little kick to the backside at just the right moment to remind us that any team in this tournament has players who can stand up and hurt you,” he said. said.
Australia were also dealt a blow on the eve of the tournament on Thursday, when star all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner tested positive for Covid-19, ruling her out of the team’s first two matches.
The Aussies, buoyed by the loss to New Zealand chasing 322, could justifiably take this as a sign that their campaign is in trouble.
They still enter the 12th edition of the One Day International tournament as six-time champions, including only three losses since the last World Cup in 2017.
This included a world-record 26-match winning streak that ended only in September last year and a recent series win over World Cup champions England in the Women’s Ashes.
Mott said his players were well rested after completing a 10-day border isolation to enter New Zealand and were looking forward to attending their tournament opener against England on Sunday.
“We have deliberately gone low key in this tournament – we had a big Ashes series, then the quarantine and we gave the players a chance to freshen up,” he said.
“I think it will make us cherry ripe for March 5th and be able to hold that throughout the tournament.”
– ‘Sum footing’ –
Captain Meg Lanning attributed Australia’s success to the depth of the team, describing how rising stars such as Tahlia McGrath and Darcy Brown contributed to Ashes victories along with legends Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy.
“The biggest thing for us over the years is that we haven’t relied on one or two players, we have some good depth in our team,” she said.
“You need different players at times to step up and the depth we’ve got is something we need in this World Cup.”
Lanning predicted a high-scoring tournament, saying that the Twenty20 format encouraged big hitters.
“Teams are willing to go a little earlier and reach that 300 mark,” he said, adding that the Australian was “convinced” in his aggressive playing style.
However, the sudden-death environment of tournament knockouts may have set in motion, as Australia realized their worth when India defeated them in the semi-finals of the 2017 World Cup.
“Every team starts on zero wins, it’s the same level – what happened over the years is irrelevant,” Lanning said.
The Australian captain also made a cheeky bid to claim underdog status against England, which his team has not lost since 2017.
“England are the defending champions, they have the cup, so we are all chasing them,” she said.
“We’re looking forward to the opportunity to come up against him in that first game to try to build momentum throughout the tournament.”
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