Sydney, Apr 6:
Australia women’s skipper Alyssa Healy looks forward to this year’s T20 World Cup after a dominant performance during the recent tour of Bangladesh.
Satisfied Healy believes her side’s unbeaten run during their tour of Bangladesh will hold them in good stead when they return to the Asian country later this year for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.
Australia got some early practice in for this year’s 20-over showcase with six white-ball contests against Bangladesh and the reigning T20 World Cup champions looked in fine touch as they swept both the ODI and T20I series 3-0 in emphatic style.
Healy was impressed by how quickly Australia got used to the conditions on offer in Bangladesh and thinks it will prove fruitful as her side chases a fourth consecutive T20 World Cup crown in the country later this year, an ICC report said.
“I think we’re adapting really well, which is what we speak about a lot, whether it’s with bat or ball, we want to adapt to conditions really quickly,” Healy said.
“Everyone in the squad is taking something home that they can work on for when we come back here in September, so it’s been hugely worthwhile for us,” she said.
“The results went our way but from a big picture perspective, and what we’re building towards in September, October, I think we got everything we possibly could out of this series,” Healy said.
Australia got the chance to provide a group of their players with a range of different opportunities during the Bangladesh tour, with Healy relinquishing her spot as opener to Grace Harris in one of the T20I contests and all-rounder Georgia Wareham surprisingly coming into bat at No.3 during the same match.
The six-time Women’s T20 World Cup winners will also be buoyed by the impressive returns from injury by spinner Sophie Molineux and pacer Tayla Vlaeminck during the tour, which will provide selectors with plenty to ponder ahead of their return to Bangladesh in September.
“We’ve had different players of the match and different players of the series across the two series, so that’s been really pleasing as well,” Healy said.
Australia’s next test on their busy international schedule comes against trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand on home soil in the middle of September and Healy thinks a good break prior to those three matches and before the start of the T20 World Cup will give her side the best chance of hoisting the trophy in Bangladesh.
