Women’s World Cup 2022: England SWOT Analysis

Having clinched the 2017 edition of the Women’s World Cup, England will step into the 2022 competition as defending champions and, needless to mention, would like to retain the title. The Heather Knight-led side has been a force to reckon with in white-ball cricket and expectations are sky-high from them. Moreover, the squad has as many as eight players from the title-winning campaign at home in 2017.

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.

Here’s the SWOT analysis of England’s squad for the Women’s World Cup 2022:

Strengths: As mentioned above, eight England players from the title-winning campaign in 2017 are featuring in this squad. Hence, the team is not short of experience and is perfectly aware of the dynamics of the competition. While the likes of Heather Knight, Tammy Beaumont, and Katherine Brunt will just not perform from the front, they’ll also ease out the nerves of youngsters.

Weakness: England might not step into the competition with great confidence, having suffered a 0-3 whitewash against Australia in their last ODI assignment. Failures of batters hurt England the most as the likes of Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danni Wyatt and Amy Jones struggled throughout the series. Fortunately, the conditions in New Zealand are pretty similar to that of England.

Opportunities: Having lifted the title three times, England would be raring to add another silverware to their cabinet. Notably, Australia are the most successful team in the tournament’s history with five trophies. Hence, the Three Lions have a great chance to go one step closer to their arch-rivals. It’s also a great opportunity for youngsters like Emma Lamb and Sophie Ecclestone to leave a significant mark.

Threats: The side does have the experience but their dismal show in Australia exposed a lot of loopholes. The side might struggle on a challenging track against a good bowling attack. Moreover, the lower order also looks quite fragile with Danni Wyatt and Sophia Dunkley being the available options.