Group AAustralia<\/p>\n
Coach Shelley Nitschke Captain Sophie Molineux WT20WC best: Winners 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020, 2023 Ellyse Perry, the great Australia all-rounder, will be playing at her 10th Women\u2019s T20 World Cup. Photograph: Mike Egerton\/PA<\/p>\n Molineux\u2019s own match fitness is also far from a sure thing: she has ongoing back issues<\/a>, her bowling capacity may well be limited, and if she was not captain then there is no way she would be selected in this team as a pure batter. One is rather reminded of a remark from W1A\u2019s marketing guru Siobhan Sharpe: \u201cWe are where we are, and that\u2019s never a good place to be.\u201d<\/p>\n Key player Ash Gardner She was reportedly gutted not to have been made captain but, after a relatively dry spell, the all-rounder needs to accept it, move on and step up with the bat.<\/p>\n Bangladesh<\/p>\n Coach Sarwar Imran Captain Nigar Sultana Joty WT20WC best Group stages 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2023, 2024 Bangladesh lost against Ireland and New Zealand in their official warm-up games. Photograph: Matthew Lewis-ICC\/ICC\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Key player Marufa Akter The 21-year-old had England in tatters<\/a> in October\u2019s 50-over World Cup with her hooping inswing, and will be Bangladesh\u2019s key strike bowler in this format too.<\/p>\n India<\/p>\n Coach Amol Muzumdar Captain Harmanpreet Kaur WT20WC best Runners-up 2020 Harmanpreet Kaur led India to their first senior women\u2019s ICC title, the 2025 ODI World Cup. Photograph: Punit Paranjpe\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n The rollercoaster nature of that series was epitomised by the fortunes of Yastika Bhatia, who made a match-winning half-century<\/a> on her return to the side after a two-year injury-enforced absence, only to be controversially retired out two days later at Bristol<\/a>. Watch out for pace bowler Nandani Sharma, who made her international debut last month against England on the back of a WPL hat-trick and has looked the goods.<\/p>\n Key player Harmanpreet Kaur \u201cYou think I should stop?\u201d Harmanpreet said, disbelievingly, when one reporter asked her on Sunday if, at 37 years old, she had any plans to make this her last World Cup. Her recent T20 form has been better than ever, so the answer to the question about thoughts of retirement was a big fat no.<\/p>\n Netherlands<\/p>\n Coach Neil MacRae Captain Babette de Leede WT20WC best N\/A The Netherlands\u2019 first official warm-up game was against Scotland, who they also faced in a tri-series with Bangladesh. Photograph: Paul Harding-ICC\/ICC\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Key player Sterre Kalis The top-order batter is into her sixth year as a pro for Yorkshire (previously Northern Diamonds) and will be a great source of intel on English pitches.<\/p>\n Pakistan<\/p>\n Coach Wahab Riaz Captain Fatima Sana WT20WC best Group stages Pakistan lost both of their warm-up games and finished last in a tri-series with Ireland and the West Indies. Photograph: George Wood-ICC\/ICC\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Key player Sadia Iqbal The veteran left-arm spinner is ranked No 2 in the world and will be hoping to add to her impressive collection of scalps.<\/p>\n South Africa<\/p>\n Coach Mandla Mashimbyi Captain Laura Wolvaardt WT20WC best Finalists 2023, 2024 Marizanne Kapp remains one of the world\u2019s premier all-rounders. Photograph: Neil Marshall\/ProSports\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n Key player Laura Wolvaardt The skipper is in the best form of her career, with scores of 51, 54, 115, 18 and 92 not out in her last five T20I innings.<\/p>\n Group BEngland<\/p>\n Coach Charlotte Edwards Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt WT20WC best Winners 2009 Nat Sciver-Brunt enlivened the captains\u2019 launch event on Waterloo Bridge by smashing a ball into the Thames. Photograph: Jonathan Brady\/PA<\/p>\n But Sophia Dunkley\u2019s form at the top of the order is a concern. So is the fact that – aside from Lauren Bell and Linsey Smith – they are over-reliant on bits-and-pieces bowlers who could leak runs at the death, not helped by the fact that Sciver-Brunt has finally admitted that she will not be bowling in this tournament due to her recent calf injury. Fortunately England have found themselves in the easier group, and the carrot of a final at Lord\u2019s in front of a home crowd will surely be a powerful motivator.<\/p>\n Key player Linsey Smith The left-arm spinner is crucial to England\u2019s powerplay bowling, and has been so successful of late that she was recently ranked as the No 1 T20 bowler in the world.<\/p>\n Ireland<\/p>\n Coach Lloyd Tennant Captain Gaby Lewis WT20WC best Group stages 2014, 2016, 2018, 2023 Ireland are right to be in good spirits, having recently beaten the West Indies, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Photograph: Matthew Lewis-ICC\/ICC\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Key player Orla Prendergast The powerful, seam-bowling all-rounder knows English conditions well, having represented The Blaze for the last three seasons.<\/p>\n New Zealand<\/p>\n Coach Ben Sawyer Captain Melie Kerr WT20WC best Winners 2024 Lea Tahuhu (left), Sophie Devine (centre) and Suzie Bates (right) could end their storied careers by helping New Zealand retain the T20 World Cup. Photograph: Altaf Qadri\/AP<\/p>\n They have yet to decide on their opening partnership – will it be veteran Bates or Georgia Plimmer who joins Izzy Gaze up top? – but are well-stocked in the bowling department, with the 24-year-old off-spinner Nensi Patel impressing against England<\/a> last month.<\/p>\n Key player Melie Kerr She has looked out of sorts recently with scores of 8, 0 and 5 against England in May, but 2024\u2019s Player of the Tournament will be crucial to New Zealand\u2019s hopes of retaining their title.<\/p>\n Scotland<\/p>\n Coach Craig Wallace Captain Kathryn Bryce WT20WC best Group stages 2024 Scotland won a tri-series against the Netherlands and Bangladesh, and have won both of their warm-up games. Photograph: George Wood-ICC\/ICC\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Key player Kirstie Gordon Part of the England team that reached the final in 2018<\/a>, Gordon chose to return to Scotland last year and will be especially fired up at the prospect of bowling to her old teammates come 20 June at Headingley.<\/p>\n Sri Lanka<\/p>\n Coach Jamie Siddons Captain Chamari Athapaththu WT20WC best Group stages Sri Lanka have won their last five women\u2019s T20 internationals. Photograph: George Wood-ICC\/ICC\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Key player Chamari Athapaththu Fresh off the plane, Athapaththu showed why she is one of the most feared batters in global cricket at the weekend by smashing 94 from 58 balls in Sri Lanka\u2019s warm-up against Pakistan.<\/p>\n West Indies<\/p>\n
Six-time champions Australia may still be the bookies\u2019 favourites, but for the first time it\u2019s possible to imagine a scenario where they don\u2019t make the semi-finals – Group A is by far the tougher. By choosing left-arm spinner Molineux as their new captain in January, they\u2019ve arguably backed themselves into a selection corner, with the leg-spinner Alana King likely to be left out <\/a>of the XI despite being their most effective bowler on the recent tour of the West Indies.<\/p>\n
This World Cup will be unfamiliar territory for Bangladesh, literally: they have never previously toured England. \u201cIt will be very challenging for us,\u201d Joty admitted at the captains\u2019 press conference on Sunday. \u201cThe wickets and the conditions are totally different from Asia.\u201d They have been acclimatising by playing a tri-series in Edinburgh against Scotland and the Netherlands but the results – two wins, two losses – were not particularly encouraging.<\/p>\n
India are a tough team to make predictions about. Their stated aim is to emulate the achievement of Meg Lanning\u2019s Australia and become a team who dominate world cricket for a generation. They made a good start on that process in Navi Mumbai last November when they romped home<\/a> in the 50-over World Cup final. Since then they have visited Australia and handed them a T20 series defeat, followed that up by losing 4-1 to South Africa, and darted between the sublime and the ridiculous against England, eventually losing 2-1<\/a>.<\/p>\n
It has been a remarkable few months for the Dutch team, who only gained T20I status in 2018 but stormed through the qualifiers in January to book their place in their first 20-over World Cup. With the exception of Sterre Kalis, the Netherlands team consists entirely of part-time cricketers; the captain Babette De Leede has a master\u2019s degree in econometrics, while the leg-spinner Caroline de Lange quit her job as a doctor in order to participate in this tournament. They will be targeting wins against Bangladesh and Pakistan – the top eight finishers will qualify automatically for the next T20 World Cup.<\/p>\n
After a poor track record in recent global tournaments, Pakistan are favouring change over continuity. Five members of their squad – Eyman Fatima, Natalia Pervaiz, Rameen Shamim, Saira Jabeen and Tasmia Rubab – are playing in their first T20 World Cup. They have also rejigged their coaching staff, removing Mohammad Wasim from post following their winless 50-over World Cup last October. Vital to their hopes of success will be captain Fatima Sana, who is fresh from smashing the fastest 50 in women\u2019s T20Is last month against Zimbabwe, taking just 15 balls to bring up the milestone.<\/p>\n
Despite reaching the last three major World Cup finals \u2013 2023 and 2024 in T20Is, 2025 in ODIs \u2013 South Africa have gone retro for this edition, turning back to Dane van Niekerk and Shabnim Ismail, who both retired from internationals in 2023. Ismail holds the record for the fastest ball ever bowled in women\u2019s international cricket – 128kmph v West Indies in 2016 – while van Niekerk was MVP and the winning captain in the inaugural edition of the Women\u2019s Hundred, so knows more than most about how to achieve success in England. But could throwing the pair back in also risk disrupting the dynamics of a settled, successful squad? Only time will tell.<\/p>\n
There is no doubt that England are a much-improved team, 18 months on from their Ashes disaster. Their fielding is sharp, fitness levels have improved, Alice Capsey has matured<\/a> as a batter, and Charlie Dean has proved herself as a captain-in-waiting and will be a great support to Nat Sciver-Brunt. England\u2019s confidence levels will be sky-high after a successful run-chase of 181<\/a> against India to seal a series win at Taunton a week ago.<\/p>\n
After failing to qualify for the 2024 edition, Ireland are determined to put on a show this time. \u201cIt makes you cherish the experience a lot more,\u201d captain Gaby Lewis told the media on Sunday. They will miss former skipper Laura Delany, who is injured, but will be equally relieved that Lewis herself is fit after missing the recent tri-series against West Indies and Pakistan in Dublin with a leg injury.<\/p>\n
Interestingly, New Zealand have been deliberately downplaying their status as reigning champions. \u201cThat was a fair while ago with some pretty different players,\u201d coach Ben Sawyer said in May. Instead, much of the focus has been around making sure that the iconic trio of Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu have a final tournament to remember; all three have announced that this will be their last World Cup.<\/p>\n
Scotland\u2019s progress has been rapid in recent years, thanks to the fact that their players can now play cricket professionally in England. Eight of the World Cup squad are doing just that, including the captain Kathryn Bryce, her sister Sarah, and Abtaha Maqsood, the leg-spinner, who completed three years of dental school before quitting to pursue cricket full-time. Expect stands packed with vocal Scottish fans, in what is effectively a home World Cup.<\/p>\n
For so long a one-woman team, Sri Lanka are showing signs of readiness for the day when Chamari Athapaththu finally hangs up her boots. In Sunday\u2019s press conference, Athapaththu singled out two players for praise: the 20-year-old opener Vishmi Gunaratne, who has successfully fought her way back from a knee injury, and the 25-year-old spin bowler Kavisha Dilhari, who is also a decent middle-order batter. They face England in the tournament opener at Edgbaston on 12 June and the hosts underestimate them at their peril: two years ago they embarrassed England by handing them a T20 series defeat on home soil<\/a>.<\/p>\n