Six-time winners Oz eye one more final, while Proteas will be eager to halt defending champs’ juggernaut when they face each other in semi-final today
Australia players celebrate the wicket of India’s Radha Yadav during the T20 World Cup league match in Sharjah on Sunday
Australia have been a dominant force in the Women’s T20 World Cup. They have won the title six times out of the eight editions and missed the final only once, in the inaugural event in 2009. They have been the champions in the last three editions and are eager to make it “four-in-a-row.” Considering these stats, it will be interesting to see if the other three teams in the semi-finals have it in them to end Australia’s hegemony. We will know that over the next few days.
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South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt. Pics/Getty Images
First up for Australia are the much-improved South Africa in the first semi-final, to be staged in Dubai on Thursday. The second, on Friday, pits giant-killers West Indies (who knocked England out on Tuesday) against New Zealand in Sharjah. The final will be in Dubai on Sunday, where we will see whether Australia have extended their winning spree or if one of the three sides have stopped them on their track.
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Skipper Healy doubtful
Going into the knockout phase, the biggest concern for Australia is the fitness of the captain-cum-wicketkeeper-opener Alyssa Healy. She was injured while batting against Pakistan and retired when a win was in sight. She missed the all-important game against India in Sharjah last Sunday. Her injury meant the Australian team management had to bring in three replacements — a wicketkeeper (Beth Mooney), an opener (Grace Harris), and a stand-in captain (Tahlia McGrath). All three did a wonderful job against India in a hard-fought match that virtually eliminated the Indians at the league stage itself.
Confident line-up
When Healy was injured, Cricket Australia issued a press note stating: “Healy will be assessed over the coming days, and should Australia qualify for the semi-finals, her availability will be determined in due course.” As of now, it is not certain that Healy will be fit enough to perform the three vital roles she does so skillfully. But the Australian team management is confident they have all the bases covered. They believe they have the depth and quality in case their skipper misses out again.
As for South Africa, they will have to give their best if they hope to get past the defending champions. It’s not going to be easy even if Healy is absent. But a determined Proteas skipper Laura Wolvaardt has her sights set on winning the World Cup, which no South African men’s or women’s teams have ever done. “At the end of the day, no matter who the opponent is, we want to win games for our country. We will try our best to win [the semi-final]. Obviously, winning the World Cup is the ultimate goal and for that, we have to get past the [defending] champions.”
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