ICC Women's CWC 2022 | SWOT Analysis: Australia, England & New Zealand

A total of 8 teams will battle it out for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2022, starting in a few days' time. Who will come out on top? SWOT Analyzing a team will give us a fair idea of what to expect from the teams. In this article, we have analyzed the only three teams who have won the Women’s World Cup. Australia has won it 6 times, England has come out on top on four occasions and New Zealand have tasted success once. 

It is time we do a SWOT Analysis on the three favourites who can win the World Cup.

Team Australia

Squad: Meg Lanning (C), Rachael Haynes (VC), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington.

Standby Players: Hannah Darlington, Georgia Redmayne

Strength: Australia is one of the favourites to win the World Cup. They are a unit who covered all their bases. Their major strength in their batting unit is everyone well aware of their roles. They have Beth Mooney and Rachael Haynes who will anchor the innings. McGrath and Gardner are the ones responsible for finishing things off with the bat. The others tend to bat around them and to be honest their batting unit is full of superstars. Meg Lanning, Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy are the other three batters that I don't really need to say much about. They hardly have any weakness and are the clear favourites heading into the World Cup.

Weakness: Such is the strength of this Australian outfit that finding a weakness is a really tough task. The only concern for them is the form of Alyssa Healy who hasn’t been in the zone but even form can’t be a real weakness.

Opportunity: Tahlia McGrath has made a giant leap in the last year or so. She showcased her talent in the BBL and was brilliant against India and England in the recent outings. She seems to be a complete all-rounder. McGrath is someone that they might build their team around in coming years and this World Cup is a great opportunity for Tahlia to stamp her authority. 

Threat: The only threat for this Australian team is the fact that their change seamers Sutherland and Nicola Carey might come under the radar of the teams and they might go after them. Having said that, they are bowlers with a lot of talent

Team England

England squad: Heather Knight, Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone, Tash Farrant, Amy Jones, Emma Lamb, Nat Sciver, Anya Shrubsole, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danni Wyatt.

Standby Players: Lauren Bell, Mady Villiers

Strength: Skipper Heather Knight, Nat Sciver and Tammy Beaumont are the three pillars of this English side. All three are batters who can win you games on their own. Knight’s form in the ODIs of late hasn’t been great but she has always stepped up when it mattered the most. Nat Sciver averages over 38 and also chips in with the ball when needed. Tammy is a cheat code for the ODI’s, she scores centuries every now and then. Charlotte Edwards is the only one who has made more ODI centuries than Tammy for England in twice the number of matches.

Weakness: Who bats up top with Tammy Beaumont? Winfield-Hill seems to be the favourite at this point in time but she hasn’t scored an international fifty in almost 6 years. England did hand out Emma Lamb her ODI debut in the last game of the Ashes series but she failed. For the last two years, they have chopped and changed between Wyatt and Winfield-Hill but now they enter this tournament with a question mark on who will be Beaumont's partner.

Opportunity: Sophia Dunkley is an emerging star for England and it is the perfect opportunity for her to set the stage on fire. Things didn't go according to plan for her but she bounced back in some fashion. The Surrey-born all-rounder recently led England to victory in her first ODI innings against India at Taunton. Her form has dropped since but she will be trusted to deliver the goods batting at number 6.

Threat: Sarah Glenn’s absence might be something that will hurt England big time. They have an all bases covered bowling unit but they don’t have an x-factor bowler. The leg spinner was their x-factor and with her, not available things look a bit threatening for them.

Team New Zealand

Squad: Sophie Devine (c), Amy Satterthwaite (vc), Suzie Bates, Lauren Down (Injured and ruled out), Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Melie Kerr, Frankie Mackay, Rosemary Mair, Katey Martin, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu.

Strength: Two all-rounders who can win games on their own. When we talk about the strength of the New Zealand women’s team, the first name is their chief, Sophie Devine. She is amongst the top five wicket-takers and run-scorers in ODI’s for New Zealand. Arguably one of the best all-rounders of this generation. Amelia Kerr is the other superstar all-rounder in their team. Despite her young age, she is someone they can rely on. The Wellington-born all-rounder was on a break in 2021 for mental health reasons but ever since her return, she has been magnificent. In the recently concluded series against India, she was the man of the series.

Amy Satterthwaite averaged over 40 in 2021 and scored two half-centuries against India recently, she is ranked third in the ICC’s ODI batting standings and is surely a great asset for the White Ferns.

Weakness: The New Zealand women’s team is a very top-heavy batting unit and they are at risk of being over-reliant on the veteran trio of Satterthwaite, Bates and Devine. They lack a proven finisher and are in a spot of bother regarding who bats at number 5. They tried Devine at number 5 but it didn’t really work out, it is better for them to let her bat in the top 3. 

Opportunity: The 17-year-old left-arm orthodox spinner, Fran Jonas has been given the nod ahead of Leigh Kasperek for this tournament. She adds variety to the spin attack alongside Amelia Kerr and Frankie Mackay. Jonas has the backing of the coach and is someone who can bat at any number. She is the unknown x-factor that might shock a few teams in the mega-event.

Threat: Only Amelia Kerr has taken more wickets than Leigh Kasperek since the final of 2017. Selecting the inexperienced and largely untested Fran Jonas in her place is a gamble and one which could very easily come back to haunt them.