Important for India to get out of the blocks quickly in Women’s WC: Lisa Sthalekar

New Delhi, Sep 28 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA):- Few cricketers have shaped the women’s game as profoundly and across as many roles as Lisa Sthalekar. A four-time World Cup winner for Australia, including twice in the ODI format, Lisa’s journey has evolved from being a player to becoming a coach, mentor, and commentator.

With the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup set to start on September 30, Lisa sat down with IANS for an exclusive interview about the upcoming marquee event, Australia’s chances of defending their title, how India are shaping up as a contender for the trophy, and more. Excerpts: –

Q. Do you believe that the upcoming competition could be the most tightly fought Women’s ODI World Cup ever?

A. Well, if you look at the 2022 World Cup, we had close to 10 matches that came down to the last over, which was pretty unbelievable, and they were some amazing matches. It’s not going to be as tight as that in terms of whether it comes down to the last over and last ball.

However, I think we will certainly see other countries really challenged, and that perhaps hasn’t been done in the past. Another cycle of the international women’s championships and more exposure have brought in younger players. This is the first time, really, we capture the pool coming from U19 World Cup.

Having some of those players coming in and making an impact on the senior side hopefully means there’s more depth for most teams, which means it’s going to be challenging and there won’t be any easy matches.

Q. Does Australia have everything to defend their ODI World Cup title?

A. They do have the ingredients. But they know, and those who follow the game know as well, that a World Cup is significantly different from a bilateral series. The fact that you’re travelling to pretty much all corners of India to play some games, the heat, travel, and exhaustion, there’s already been a couple of niggles.

We’re also seeing what’s probably the first of its kind: a 50-over World Cup, where players are truly professional in terms of their ability to transition seamlessly from one tournament to the next, whether it be domestic T20 leagues or bilateral series. So, the number of days they play is significantly more, and you may see niggles, injuries, and players being rested.

It’s almost going to be the survival of the fittest when it comes down to the end of a gruelling month of playing World Cup cricket. Yes, Australia have the ingredients, but they’re not the only ones. India are probably looking as dominant as they have in this format in a long time, and that’s purely down to their batting depth and the seam options they now have.

Q. Speaking of the Indian team, how do you see them shaping up as title contenders?

A. I’d agree with Alyssa in saying they’ve got the home crowd, which can give you a huge boost, but can also add even more expectations and pressure on you. It’ll be important for India to get out of the blocks quickly in this tournament, as we saw Smriti Mandhana already perform well against Australia.

She seems and looks destined to have a strong and big World Cup. If she does that, then no doubt she’ll carry a few other players with her, and all of a sudden, they’re posting formidable totals or chasing down some lofty scores. They also have all the necessary ingredients.

I do feel that Deepti Sharma really has come of age with her all-round ability. She almost found a spot now. I mean, she’s been shuffled up and down the order so many times, but now she’s got a spot.

Richa Ghosh gives you firepower in that back end, which can really put the icing on the cake to all of the foundation work that’s done in those middle overs. They have some exciting players, and I’m looking forward to seeing them.

Q. Apart from Australia and India, who could enter the semifinals?

A. Look, for me, England is a bit of a question mark. I know Nat Sciver-Brunt scored an incredible hundred in the warm-up game against India. I believe Nat Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight are the ones who hold the key to England’s success.

Yes, they’ve got a good bowling line-up — Lauren Bell, Sophie Ecclestone, and Charlie Dean — with some excellent options. But they’ve struggled to find a consistent batter outside of Knight and Sciver-Brunt.

So, if someone like Amy Jones, Tammy Beaumont, Danny Wyatt-Hodge, Alice Capsey, or whoever grabs that middle order spot, or Sophia Dunkley, if they can have a tournament of their life, then you can’t rule England out of reaching the semi-finals. But at this stage, I’d probably rank England just outside the semi-finals, with New Zealand and South Africa as the potential other two teams.

Q. What is it about this Australian setup that consistently sets them apart from the rest of the teams?

A. They have a real hunger and desire, and it’s not to joke around with any other team, because everyone knows that World Cups are the ultimate goal. All the players mention this. But when the pressure is on, they stay calm, and they have several match-winners capable of stepping up.

They’re not depending on just one or two players. Anyone can have that ability in World Cups, even if some of the girls playing their first 50-over World Cup have had success in T20 World Cups.

One thing we’ve seen about this Australian side is that when they lose a T20 World Cup or a 50-over World Cup, they go on to dominate for the following period. So, the fact that they didn’t reach the finals or lost the last T20 World Cup means this team is hungrier than ever.

They’re trying to accomplish something that hasn’t been achieved since, what, 1988 – winning consecutive 50-over World Cup titles. As much as the Lannings, Haynes, and those players have been part of some incredible teams, they’ve never secured back-to-back titles, whereas this group could be the first to do so in a very long time.

Q. How do you assess this factor, the World Cup being played at venues that haven’t hosted many international women’s cricket games?

A. I played an international game in Vizag a while ago. One of the best things about some of these venues is that they tend to be smaller in terms of stadium capacity. For games not involving India, the aim is often to fill the stands and create a lively atmosphere.

What makes a World Cup truly special is the level of fan engagement. Do fans turn out in numbers? Are they enthusiastic? Are they cheering? Have they adopted another team besides India- perhaps their second favourite team- to support reaching the final? If the fans can rally behind the game, it makes a real difference.

We saw this here in Australia during the Women’s Football World Cup. I went to watch a game, Colombia versus (maybe) England. I didn’t realise there were so many Colombians living in Sydney.

The stadium was buzzing with noise, dancing, and music – adding a completely different vibe. So, I hope people come out to support women’s sports in general. Supporting the Indian team is great, but backing women’s cricket to help it grow is equally important.

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