Rosa Simkin (@rosatalksball) – 02/10/24
Dates: 3rd – 20th October
Host: Bangladesh (Held in the UAE)
Venues: Dubai International Cricket Stadium & Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Where To Watch – Sky Sports (UK), ICC.TV
My Champion – India
The ICC 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup kicks off in the United Arab Emirates tomorrow, with the ten best sides in T20 World Cricket battling it out to become the ninth victors of the tournament. Here is your complete guide with quite literally everything you need to know from the niche to the obvious ahead of the tournament kicking off.
Order of Content – Key Dates, Winners Through The Years, Players To Watch In 2024, Some Stats From 2023, The Host, The Venues, Qualification Paths, The Format, The Groups, The Prize Money, The Officials, How To Follow, All The Squads & The Fixtures
This Piece is a part of Rosa Talks Ball World Cup Coverage, you can find more articles using the links below, from analytical deep dives to complete squad previews: https://rosatalksball.com/category/2024-cricket-world-cup/
Key Dates
The Group Stage: 3rd – 15th October
The Semi-Finals: 17th & 18th October
The Final: 20th October, Dubai
Winners In Recent Years
2016 (India) – West Indies
2018 (West Indies) – Australia
2020 (Australia) – Australia
2023 (South Africa) – Australia
I think it is safe to say, that since the West Indies’ historic win over Australia in the 2016 edition of the T20 tournament, it has along with the other formats in world cricket been a one way street, with the Aussies’ dominance on the world stage shining throughout. This edition of the tournament will however be their first since 2014 where they will be without prolific captain Meg Lanning, following her recent retirement from the international game. Whether Lanning’s retirement acts as an advantage to the other teams is yet to be known, especially as the Aussie side enter the tournament with two promising victories in their official pre-tournament warm-up games vs England and the West Indies.
Three Players To Watch In 2024
Kathryn Bryce (Scotland) – Kathryn Bryce is not only captain of her home nation in their debut tournmanent but is one of the core figures in their journey to the UAE, with the 26-year-old all rounder hitting the winning runs in their conclusive match vs Ireland in the qualifiers with 35* (29) and being named player of the tournament with 177 runs and 9 wickets across the 5 games she played. From a personal point of view, the 2024 summer has been a huge success, winning the Charlotte Edwards (T20) Cup as overall MVP and top run scorer with her English Region The Blaze and being named PCA Women’s Player of The Year and captain of the team of the year! Scotland may be entering the tournament as definite underdogs, but Bryce certainly will take the opportunity to shine on another global stage.
Nat Sciver-Brunt (England) – It feels like by now Nat Sciver-Brunt needs very little introduction. The 32-year-old all-rounder remains at the core of the success of England in recent years and consistently shines on the world stage. She was recently named England’s ODI player of the summer and recieved her caps for appearences in both the 2023 ICC ODI and T20I teams of the year. With bat in 2024 she has scored a whopping – runs across her stints in the Women’s IPL, Hundred, with England and more. What she doesn’t provide in runs and wickets, she provides from a leadership perspective as a senior squad member for England skipper Knight to lean on and the sides vice captain.
Fatima Sana (Pakistan) – The 22-year-old will make history this tournament as the youngest captain throughout the ten sides, with in history only Meg Lanning and Stafanie Taylor being younger in the 2014 edition. The bowling all-rounder takes over from temporary skipper Nida Dar after Bismah Maroofs eventual retirement from the game. The tournament will be the youngster’s first proper taste of the role, as she was only announced as the sides leader at the time of Pakistan’s squad announcement in August and her record so far is mixed, losing a tight T20 series with South Africa 2 – 1 and failing to find a victory in both of their warm-up games, however as she adjusts I’d argue their best is yet to come. She has been a critical face with bat in hand, scoring 138 runs across those five innings including 37* from just 23 balls in their eventual victory over South Africa last month.
Some Stats From 2023
6s – 57
4s – 616
Top Individual Score – Muneeba Ali (Pakistan) vs Ireland: 102 (68)
Best Individual Figures – Ash Gardner (Australia) vs New Zealand: 5/12 (3 Overs)
Most WK Dismissals – Richa Ghosh (India): 7 (5 Ct & 2 St)
Most Catches – Tazmin Brits (South Africa): 7
Highest Partnership – Laura Wolvaardt & Tazmin Brits (South Africa) vs Bangladesg: 117*
Top 3 Run Scorers:
- Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa) – 230 Runs (6 Innings); 46.00 Avg & 106.48 SR
- Nat Sciver-Brunt (England) – 216 Runs (5 Innings); 72.00 Avg & 141.17 SR
- Beth Mooney (Australia) – 206 Runs (6 Innings); 51.50 Ag & 117.71 SR
Top 3 Wicket Takers:
- Sophie Ecclestone (England) – 11 Wickets (20.0 Overs); 3/13 BB, 7.54 Avg, 4.15 Econ & 10.90 SR.
- Ash Gardner (Australia) – 10 Wickets (20.0 Overs); 5/12 BB, 12.50 Avg, 6.25 Econ & 12.00 SR
- Megan Schutt (Australia) – 10 Wickets (22.0 Overs); 4/24 BB, 13.50 Avg, 6.13 Econ & 13.20 SR
The Host
In August 2024 the decision was taken by the ICC to move the location of the tournament to the United Arab Emirates amid growing conflicts within the borders of initial hosts Bangladesh. However, the Bangladesh Cricket Board remain the official hosts for the tournament, with the Bangladesh side remaining the home team from a logistical perspective.
The Venues
The tournament is due to be played across two Venues in the United Arab Emirates, with the twenty group stage matches split evenly among the 25,000 capacity Dubai International Cricket Stadium and the 16,000 capacity Sharjah Cricket Stadium, with each venue hosting one of the semi-finals and the Final taking place in Dubai on the 20th of October.
The two venues have taken over the hosting duties of Dhaka and Sylhet in Bangladesh, after the decision was made to move the tournament to the UAE owing to increasing conflicts in Bangladesh.
The 25,000 capacity venue in Dubai will host the Final
Qualification Paths
Hosts – Bangladesh
2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup (Top Six Teams) – Australia, England, India, South Africa, New Zealand & West Indies
ICC Women’s T20I Team Rankings (The next highest ranked team on the 27th of February 2023) – Pakistan
2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier – Scotland & Sri Lanka
The Format
The Group Stage: The ten teams have been split into two groups of five, with each side facing all others once for four group stage fixtures each and ten total. The top two teams in each of the groups will then advance to the semi-finals.
The Semi-Finals: The winner of Group A will face the runner-up of Group B in the first of two semi-finals on the 17th of October in Dubai with the winner of Group B facing the runner-up of Group A in the second of the two on the 18th of October in Sharjah.
The Groups
Group A – Australia (2023 Champions), India, New Zealand, Pakistan & Sri Lanka
Group B – Bangladesh (Host), England, Scotland, South Africa & West Indies
The Prize Money
In September the ICC announced a record prize money pool of $7,958,080, which is more than double the prize money of the last edition in 2023, with the winners taking away a 134% increase on the money recieved by 2023’s winners Australia.
| Stage | Prize Money (USD) | Total Money (USD) | Teams Concerned |
| Winner | $2,340,000 | $2,340,000 | One |
| Runner-Up | $1,170,000 | $1,170,000 | One |
| Losing Semi-Finalists | $675,000 | $1,350,000 | Two |
| Winner of Group Games | $31,154 | $623,080 | Twenty |
| 5th – 10th Teams | $67,500 | $405,000 | Six |
Total – $7,958,080
The Officials
The ICC have announced an all femal officiating pannel for the upcoming tournament, with thirteen officials coming together from eight nations to oversee the tournament hosted by Bangladesh in the UAE.
Umpires – Lauren Agenbag (South Africa), Kim Cotton (New Zealand), Sara Dambanevana (Zimbabwe), Anna Harris (England), Nimali Perera (Sri Lanka), Claire Polosak (Australia), Vrinda Rathi (India), Sue Redfern (England), Eloise Sheridan (Australia) & Jacqueline Williams (West Indies)
Match Referees – Shandre Fritz (South Africa), Gandikota Sarva Lakshmi (India) & Michell Pereira (Sri Lanka)
“The ICC is proud to be contributing to the advancement of women in our sport. To be announcing this all-female lineup of match officials for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 is wonderful. This group, selected as the most deserving umpires for this event following their recent form in bilateral and other cricket, are some of the very best from around the world. We are confident that they will do a great job at this event. I wish them the best of luck as they oversee the world’s top women’s cricketers in what will be an exciting tournament for all involved.” – Sean Easey, ICC Senior Manager for Umpries & Referees
How To Follow
Rosa Talks Ball – The 2024 tournament will be covered across my platforms, from analytical deep dives all the way to fun facts! You can find my written coverage of the tournament here – & through my username @rosatalksball on Instagram & X (formerly Twitter)
United Kingdom – Sky Sports
Australia – Fox Sports & Kayo
New Zealand – Sky Sports NZL
India – Star Sports
United States – Willow TV & ESPN+
All The Squads
Group A:
Australia (2023 Champions): Alyssa Healy (C), Tahlia McGrath (VC), Darcie Brown, Ash Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Sophie Molineux, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck & Georgia Wareham
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk)*, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Sajana Sajeevan.
New Zealand: Sophie Devine (C), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Leigh Kasperek, Melie Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu
Pakistan: Fatima Sana (C), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Gull Feroza, Iram Javed, Muneeba Ali, Nashra Sundhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal (subject to fitness), Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba Hassan
Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (C), Anushka Sanjeewani, Harshitha Madhavi, Nilakshika de Silva, Inoka Ranaweera, Hasini Perera, Kavisha Dilhari, Sachini Nisansala, Vishmi Gunaratne, Udeshika Prabodhani, Achini Kulasuriya, Sugandika Kumari, Inoshi Priyadharshani, Shashini Gimhani, Ama Kanchana.
Group B:
Bangladesh: Nigar Sultana Joty (C), Nahida Akter, Murshida Khatun, Shorna Akter, Ritu Moni, Sobhana Mostary, Rabeya Khan, Sultana Khatun, Fahima Khatun, Marufa Akter, Jahanara Alam, Dilara Akter, Taj Nehar, Shathi Rani, Disha Biswas
England: Heather Knight (C), Danni Wyatt, Sophia Dunkley, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Alice Capsey, Amy Jones (wk), Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean, Sarah Glenn, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Linsey Smith, Freya Kemp, Dani Gibson, Bess Heath
Scotland: Kathryn Bryce (C), Sarah Bryce (VC), Lorna Jack-Brown, Abbi Aitken-Drummond, Abtaha Maqsood, Saskia Horley, Chloe Abel, Priyanaz Chatterji, Megan McColl, Darcey Carter, Ailsa Lister, Hannah Rainey, Rachel Slater, Katherine Fraser, Olivia Bell
South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (C), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Mieke de Ridder, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Suné Luus, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Seshnie Naidu, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloé Tryon
West Indies: Hayley Matthews (c), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Shemaine Campbelle (VC, wk), Ashmini Munisar, Afy Fletcher, Stafanie Taylor, Chinelle Henry, Chedean Nation, Qiana Joseph, Zaida James, Karishma Ramharack, Mandy Mangru, Nerissa Crafton
The Fixtures (Times UK)
Thurs Oct 3: Bangladesh vs Scotland (Sharjah) – 11am
Thurs Oct 3: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka (Sharjah) – 3pm
Fri Oct 4: South Africa vs West Indies (Dubai) – 11am
Fri Oct 4: India vs New Zealand (Dubai) – 3pm
Sat Oct 5: Bangladesh vs England (Sharjah) – 11am
Sat Oct 5: Australia vs Sri Lanka (Sharjah) – 3pm
Sun Oct 6: India vs Pakistan (Dubai) – 11am
Sun Oct 6: West Indies vs Scotland (Dubai) – 3pm
Mon Oct 7: England vs South Africa (Sharjah) – 3pm
Tues Oct 8: Australia vs New Zealand (Sharjah) – 3pm
Wed Oct 9: South Africa vs Scotland (Dubai) – 11am
Wed Oct 9: India vs Sri Lanka (Dubai) – 3pm
Thurs Oct 10: Bangladesh vs West Indies (Sharjah) – 3pm
Fri Oct 11: Australia vs Pakistan (Dubai) – 3pm
Sat Oct 12: New Zealand vs Sri Lanka (Sharjah) – 11am
Sat Oct 12: Bangladesh vs South Africa (Dubai) – 3pm
Sun Oct 13: England vs Scotland (Sharjah) – 11am
Sun Oct 13: India vs Australia (Sharjah) – 3pm
Mon Oct 14: Pakistan vs New Zealand (Dubai) – 3pm
Tues Oct 15: England vs West Indies (Dubai) – 3pm
Semi-finals
Thurs Oct 17: Semi Final 1 (Dubai) – 3pm
Fri Oct 18: Semi Final 2 (Sharjah) – 3pm
Final – Sun Oct 20: TBC – 3pm
