Can anyone stop Australia? In women’s Twenty20 cricket, Australia have been utterly dominant, winning six of the eight World Cups since the tournament began in 2009. The 2024 event begins on Thursday in the UAE, to which it moved because of political unrest in Bangladesh. Australia are again a strong side, featuring Alyssa Healy as captain and Ellyse Perry, an all-rounder. Grace Harris adds the power to the middle order and Darcie Brown bowls at express pace. Spin-bowlers Sophie Molineux and Georgia Wareham should also prosper on pitches that will turn. England and India will try to knock down Australia. England have Sophie Ecclestone, the world’s best spinner, but their aggressive batting is a risky approach in unfamiliar conditions. This could be India’s time
. They have never won the competition but they have a calm captain in Harmanpreet Kaur, explosive batting from Jemimah Rodrigues and an abundance of spin bowling.
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