When the world is busy revelling in the massive success of the recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy 2017, England is all set to host another major event in the history of the sport. The eleventh edition of the ICC Women’s World Cup is all set to commence in less than a week’s time with the home team taking on India in the inaugural match at Derby.
Away from all the attention and the glaring eyes of the media, the top eight women's teams in the world cricket are toiling hard with their preparations and will be gunning for the coveted trophy in the most prestigious tournament of Women's cricket.
Also read: ICC Women's World Cup 2017 Schedule: Full time table with venue details, PDF download
Here is the preview of the eight teams participating in this iconic tournament.
Australia
The formidable Australian outfit will enter the tournament as the defending champions and one of the firm favourites to lift the title. With Meg Lanning at the helm, the side looks solid on paper with a nice blend of youth and experience.
The fortunes of the team with the bat will be heavily reliant on the performance of the skipper and the experienced middle order batsman, Alex Blackwell. Lanning is known to lead from the front and is expected to play a crucial role in giving a stable base at the top of the order for her side.
While the batting unit looks settled, their bowling department is one of the best in the tournament with Ellyse Perry leading the attack. Megan Schutt will partner the all-rounder in sharing the new ball attack for Australia.
Despite being plagued by injuries for the past 12 months, Schutt has recovered completely and will be raring to hit the ground running in this edition of the tournament. The right arm medium pacer has some wonderful memories of the last World Cup campaign as she was the leading wicket-taker in the tournament.
Relying heavily on swinging the new ball on conditions conducive for fast bowlers, she could well be on the course of repeating her last edition heroics.
Squad: Meg Lanning (Captain), Sarah Aley, Kristen Beams, Alex Blackwell, Nicole Bolton, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Belinda Vakarewa, Elyse Villani and Amanda-Jade Wellington
England
One of the dominant forces in the Women’s Cricket, England will be the team to watch out for in this edition of the World Cup. Playing in their backyard, the side will be accustomed to the conditions on offer throughout the competition.
Heather Knight will lead the campaign for the home team in this high voltage tournament. After taking over the captaincy reins from Charlotte Edwards last year, this will be the first major tournament for Knight as the captain of England.
The team is bolstered by the inclusion of Sarah Taylor in the squad. One of the most talented players in the England circuit, Taylor had taken an indefinite break from the game to combat anxiety. However, early this year, she announced her return to competitive cricket and will be seen handling the wicket-keeping duties of the side in the World Cup.
Katherine Brunt, competing in her fourth World Cup, will be spearheading the bowling attack along with the vice-captain of the team, Anya Shrubsole. The two are currently one of the most feared opening bowling combination in world cricket.
The side is also blessed with immense amount experience in high-pressure tournaments with the likes Jenny Gunn and Laura Marsh being been part of the 2009 World Cup winning squad.
Squad: Heather Knight (Captain), Tamsin Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Georgia Elwiss, Jenny Gunn, Alex Hartley, Danielle Hazell, Beth Langston, Laura Marsh, Natalie Sciver, Anya Shrubsole, Sarah Taylor, Fran Wilson, Lauren Winfield and Danielle Wyatt.
South Africa
The most improved team in the international circuit over the past few years, South Africa will enter the tournament as the underdogs. Although the Proteas unit is not one of the favourites coming into this tournament, the team has plenty of fire powers to turn things around in this prestigious competition.
The captain of the team, Dane van Niekerk is back in the squad after missing the Quadrangular series at home, early last month due to a foot injury. Despite the struggle, van Niekerk is declared fit and will be one of the key members of the current squad.
In Marizanne Kapp, the side can boast of the number one ranked bowler in One Day Internationals. She will be supported by Shabnim Ismail who is currently one the fastest bowlers in the Women's circuit.
Ever since her return to international cricket post serving a six-month ban for misconduct, Ismail has been one of the most prolific performers for the side, often giving them crucial breakthroughs at the top of the order.
Squad: Dane van Niekerk (Captain), Trisha Chetty, Moseline Daniels, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klass, Shabnim Ismail, Nadine de Klerk, Lizelle Lee, Sune Luus, Raisibe Ntozhake, Mignon du Preez, Andrie Steyn, Chloe Tryon and Laura Wolvaardt.
New Zealand
It was way back in the year 2000, on their home soil, New Zealand team recorded their first ever victory in the ICC Women’s World Cup by defeating Australia in the summit clash by four runs. 17 years later, Suzie Bates and her team will aim to script a similar story, albeit on foreign land.
The tournament will mark the return of their hard hitting all rounder, Sophie Devine after a long injury layoff. One of the mainstays in the lineup for the White Ferns, Devine dislocated her thumb while playing in the Women’s Big Bash League. The injury ruled her out of action for most of the year but she’ll be making a comeback into the side for the all-important World Cup.
While the batting looks formidable with the experience of Bates and Devine in the top order, the bowling department includes a surprise package in a 16-year-old Amelia Kerr. The leg-spinner is the youngest player to make her debut for the New Zealand outfit and will be one of the players to watch out for in the tournament.
Squad: Suzie Bates (Captain), Erin Bermingham, Sophie Devine, Maddie Green, Holly Huddleston, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Katey Martin, Thamsyn Newton, Katie Perkins, Anna Peterson, Rachel Priest, Hannah Rowe, Amy Satterthwaite and Lea Tahuhu.
India
The Indian team are currently enduring a dream run on the international circuit with some consistent performances. After a successful campaign at the World Cup Qualifiers and the recently concluded Quadrangular series, the side will be riding high on confidence.
Mithali Raj, the second leading run scorer in the history of Women's cricket, will shoulder the responsibility of guiding the young batting unit. The right-handed batter is expected to play a pivotal role in the fortunes of the side as they work towards their first World Cup title. Along with the experienced Harmanpreet Kaur in the middle order, the batting department looks solid.
Going into the tournament, the Indian team backed their strength by going with three quality spinners in their 15 member squad. The bowling unit will be lead by Jhulan Goswami, the highest wicket taker in the ODI format of the game.
Squad: Mithali Raj (Captain), Ekta Bist, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Jhulan Goswami, Mansi Joshi, Harmanpreet Kaur, Veda Krishnamurthy, Smriti Mandhana, Mona Meshram, Nuzhat Parween, Shikha Pandey, Punam Raut, Deepti Sharma, Sushma Verma and Poonam Yadav.
West Indies
West Indies are undoubtedly the dark horses in the eleventh edition of this iconic tournament. The team will be hoping to replicate their performance of a successful World T-20 campaign held in India, last year.
With the likes of Stafanie Taylor, Deandra Dottin and Hayley Matthews in the lineup, the batting unit looks destructive for the Windies. In Taylor, they have the best all-rounder in the world, and the hopes of consistent performances from the team in the tournament will be hugely dependent on her.
Dottin, on the other hand, is the first women to score a century in the shortest format of the game. The right-handed batter possesses hard hitting abilities and is one of the few players in women’s cricket to clear the boundary ropes with utmost ease.
The bowling department will be under the guidance of Anisa Mohammed, the most experienced bowler for West Indies. The management would be hoping for the off-spinner to use all her skills and experience in guiding the otherwise young attack.
Squad: Stafanie Taylor (captain), Merissa Aguilleira, Reniece Boyce, Shamilia Connell, Shanel Daley, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Qiana Joseph, Kyshona Knight, Hayley Matthews, Anisa Mohammed, Chedean Nation, Akeira Peters, Shakera Selman and Felicia Walters.
Pakistan
Pakistan will be hoping to repeat the heroics of their male counterparts in the upcoming tournament. Currently ranked seventh in the ODI rankings, Pakistan will look to make amends for their dismal performances in the previously contested World Cups.
The team will be banking on the experience of Sana Mir to guide them through the pressure of competition in the world events. In the 95 matches, she's featured, the all-rounder is one of the seven players to have accounted for 100 ODI wickets and score more than 1000 runs in the format.
Along with Mir, the team will also be expecting loads of runs from the middle order batter, Bismah Maroof who is the highest run scorer for the team in the shorter format of the game.
The inclusion of Asmavia in the squad will strengthen the fast bowling unit as she is expected to lead the bowling with her ability to swing the new ball and jolt the opposition early in the innings.
Squad: Sana Mir (Captain), Asmavia Iqbal, Ayesha Zafar, Bismah Maroof, Diana Baig, Ghulam Fatima, Javeria Khan, Kainat Imtiaz, Marina Iqbal, Nahida Khan, Nain Abidi, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Yousuf, Sidra Nawaz and Waheeda Akhtar.
Sri Lanka
The Sri Lankan outfit booked their place in this edition of the World Cup by a dominant display at home in the World Cup Qualifiers. The team has shown a lot of improvement in the past couple of years and will be looking to set the stage alight with some consistent performances.
The inclusion of Shashikala Siriwardene will be a huge morale booster for the side just before the tournament as she is the highest wicket-taker for them in the ODI cricket. The former captain of Lankan cricket is coming back to the mix after being sidelined due to an injury and will be a vital cog in their lineup.
With conditions suitable for fast bowlers, the outcome of the matches will largely depend on the performance of Eshani Lokusuriyaga. The all-rounder was the star of the Sri Lankan campaign in the last edition with attacking half centuries in the league matches against England and India. Her exploits in the tournament paved the way for her name to be included in the 2013 World Cup team of the tournament.
If Sri Lanka dream of springing some surprises in the tournament, these two players will have to play a crucial role for the team.
Squad: Inoka Ranaweera (Captain), Chamari Athapaththu, Chandima Gunaratne, Nipuni Hansika, Ama Kanchana, Eshani Lokusuriyaga, Harshitha Madhavi, Dilani Mandara, Hasini Perera, Chamari Polgampala, Udeshika Prabodani, Oshadhi Ranasinghe, Shashikala Siriwardene, Prasadani Weerakodi and Sripali Weerakkody.
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