Heather Knight Urges England to Stay Focused as T20 World Cup Campaign Begins
England captain Heather Knight has emphasized the importance of staying grounded as her team begins its Women’s T20 World Cup campaign. England will face previous hosts Bangladesh on Saturday in their opening group match, with West Indies, Scotland, and South Africa rounding out their group.
Reflecting on the team’s unexpected exit from the 2023 World Cup, when England was knocked out by South Africa in the semi-final, Knight admitted that complacency had crept in. “We probably did look ahead a little bit, and some players started to turn their heads towards a potential final,” Knight confessed. “That was a real big mistake, but one we’ve learned from really well.”
England enter the tournament with confidence, bolstered by an unbeaten home summer and a pre-tournament camp in Abu Dhabi. The camp helped the players adjust to the hot and humid conditions they’ll face during the competition. Although England lost their first warm-up game to defending champions Australia, they bounced back by defeating New Zealand in their second match.
While Australia remains the dominant force in women’s T20 cricket, having claimed six of the previous seven titles, Knight insists that England are not looking ahead to potential rivals just yet.
Still, she noted that the confidence gained from their victories over Australia in last year’s Ashes series remains strong. “That is our blueprint for how we want to play against any team, Australia or otherwise,” Knight said.
“As a team, we have learned so much since 2023, and this summer has given us a lot of confidence because we have added a bit more smartness to the style of cricket that we want to play.”
The sudden change of venue for the World Cup, from Bangladesh to the UAE, has presented new challenges. Early matches in the tournament have been low-scoring affairs, with Bangladesh and Pakistan defending totals of 119 and 116 against Scotland and Sri Lanka, respectively.
Spin bowling is expected to play a pivotal role on the slow, low pitches in the UAE, something Knight and her team are preparing for.
“We’ve worked a lot in the build-up on how we play spin and slow bowling, which is what we are expecting to face here,” Knight said. “We believe we can beat anyone on our best day, and our challenge is to put that together on the biggest stage.”
While Knight acknowledges the unpredictability of the conditions, particularly the possible influence of dew in the later stages of matches, she remains confident that England’s squad is equipped to handle whatever comes their way.
“It’s a bit of a guessing game, in terms of when [the dew] happens,” Knight remarked. “Watching yesterday, it looked very hot, so I will have to manage my bowlers — we know it’ll be tough, but we feel ready.”
England’s first test against Bangladesh promises to be a trial by spin, with the Bangladesh team boasting a strong lineup of slow bowlers. However, Knight is confident that the hard work her team has put into preparing for such conditions will pay off.
“We believe we can beat anyone on our best day,” she reiterated. Now, it’s up to England to maintain their focus and execute their plans as they aim for World Cup glory.
