The underdog teams in the upcoming Women’s World T20 Ireland and Bangladesh said that they are ready for the tough fight ahead. Both teams had to battle their way past several teams in order to qualify for the competition and a chance to be crowned champions.
At a press conference held at the Marriot Hotel on Friday, Captain of the Irish team, Laura Delany said that one of the main factors is the difference in climate but noted that the team is working hard to acclimatize.
Delany, who is also participating in her first T20 World Cup as the captain, said that the team is well prepared for the competition as they have had some really good performances in the last year.
“I am pretty confident that if we go out and play the way that we can, we will be extremely happy with the way this tournament will go” she stated.
Some of the players to look out for in the tournament are Gaby Lewis, who is just 17 years old but is batting at number three for the Irish team, along with Kim Garth, who is a key bowler and also plays a critical role with the bat. With a warmup match on Sunday against Bangladesh, Delany said that her team is looking to hit the ground running.
Rumana Ahmed, Captain of the Bangladesh side, said that she too is confident with the composition of her team and the team’s chances in the world cup and making it to the super four of the competition. Ahmed said that while India has a strong team, no team should be underestimated in the tournament.
“Over the past two months or so we have been playing good cricket starting from the Asia Cup, to qualifying and then coming over here ahead of the tournament. The biggest issue was the change of times and we have already gotten adjusted to that” Ahmed said.
The tournament commences on November 9 and concludes on November 24, 2018. Guyana will host a total of 11 games, including three on the opening day of the tournament.
The 10-team tournament, will feature host and defending champions the West Indies, three-time champions Australia, reigning ICC Women’s World Cup winners England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Ireland.
