Women’s World Cup Preview: 'India, Australia favourites, but SA well placed'

Australia have started the last dozen World Cups, in both formats, as favourites but when the 13th edition of the 50-over World Cup begins with the opening game between co-hosts India and Sri Lanka in Guwahati on Tuesday, it will be India that are marginally favoured to win the event on home soil at odds of 3-1.

Defending champions Australia might as well be regarded as joint favourites, so close are the odds between the teams and, indeed, Alyssa Healy’s team recently beat Harmanpreet Kaur’s team 2-1 in a high-scoring ODI series in Chandigarh and Delhi but the bookmakers have them at 4-1.

All of which leaves England and South Africa well placed ‘under the radar’ at odds of 6-1, the Proteas recent 2-1 victory against Pakistan providing plenty of confidence despite a heavy defeat in the final match.

New Zealand’s thrilling victory in the last T20 World Cup proved that underdogs can triumph on the biggest stages and there will be plenty of takers at odds of 8-1 for the White Ferns to repeat the victory they achieved in the UAE in 2024.

Pakistan’s lack of pace bowlers may count against them but, if conditions do favour the spinners they, too, could cause an upset at odds of 14-1 but Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are rank outsiders with good reason at 25-1 and 50-1.

A brutal schedule which sees every team play each other before the semifinals and final may well play a significant role in the outcome. The Proteas play all seven of their group matches within the space of just 23 days – no other 50-over World Cup has demanded more from the players, men or women, senior or junior.

How the squads stand up to the physical challenge and the test of depth could be as significant as individual performances.

'BELIEF IS STRONG'

“It’s so special to lead South Africa at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. I captained at the Women’s T20 World Cup last year, but ODI cricket feels very different – there’s more pressure and many more tactical decisions to make,” said Proteas skipper, Laura Woolvaardt.

“We’ve had good preparation for this tournament and learned a lot of lessons from past ICC events. In the last few ODI World Cups, we made semifinals. I was part of that first semifinal loss in 2017 – it really hurt the group, but it helped us see that we could compete with the best sides in the world and qualifying for a final one day is more a question of ‘when’ and not ‘if’…the belief is very strong in our side going into this tournament,” Woolvaardt said.

“Our middle order has really fired recently with players like Chloé Tryon, Annerie Dercksen, and Nadine de Klerk finishing games strongly. Marizanne Kapp is one of the best players South Africa has ever had – she always performs in the big moments. Nonkululeko Mlaba has also been phenomenal, and I think she will be crucial in subcontinent conditions.”

The 12 World Cups to date have been held in five countries, with India and England having hosted the event three times. Australia is comfortably the most successful team with seven titles and has only failed to reach the final on three occasions.

England have four titles while New Zealand is the only other team to have won. India have lost two finals and the West Indies, who failed to qualify this year, also reached a final.

“Sport has incredible power to unite people in South Africa and the thought of families and friends gathering to watch us play is so special. It makes us proud as a group to know that people are behind us and we want to make our country proud, and we want to do our families proud. Every bit of support motivates us to be a united force on the field and, hopefully, unite the nation too,” Woolvaardt said.

THE IMPORTANT STATS

SOUTH AFRICA SQUAD: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Ayabonga Khaka, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Marizanne Kapp, Tazmin Brits, Sinalo Jafta, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Annerie Dercksen, Anneke Bosch, Masabata Klaas, Sune Luus, Karabo Meso, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondumiso Shangase.

RESERVE: Miané Smit

PREVIOUS WINNERS:

1973 – England

1978 – Australia

1982 – Australia

1988 – Australia

1993 – England

1997 – Australia

2000 – New Zealand

2005 – Australia

2009 – England

2013 – Australia

2017 – England

2022 – Australia

SA FIXTURES:

September

30 – Opening Game, India v Sri Lanka (Guwahati)

October

3 – SA v England (Guwahati)

7 – SA v New Zealand (Indore)

10 – SA v India (Visakhapatnam)

14 – SA v Bangladesh (Visakhapatnam)

18 – SA v Sri Lanka (Colombo)

22 – SA v Pakistan (Colombo)

26 – SA v Australia (Indore)

29 – 1st Semi Final

30 – 2nd Semi Final

November

2 - Final