Anya Shrubsole: England will imagine they can go “head to head” with Australia

Since then, Heather Knight’s team has reached the top four in four separate tournaments at the 20-over and 50-over International Cups, including two finals in 2018 and 2022. Elsewhere, Australia has lifted the trophy in every sometimes, at least not too much. A long time ago in South Africa, in February 2023, where they won their sixth T20 title in seven editions since 2010.

The Australians remain the heavy favorites for this generation’s tournament in the United Arab Emirates, having reached the semi-finals in an unbeaten start to their campaign. On the other hand, England are also sliding towards the top on the other side of the draw and can stay on target to face Australia in the final if they can avoid defeat to the West Indies in their final selection match on Tuesday.

“England is quite well placed,” Shrubsole told ESPNcricinfo. “Australia just believes they are going to win, and most of the time they do. But I feel like in this group they really believe they can beat Australia. And I would say, on previous occasions, that absolute belief maybe wasn’t there. I think Ashes. [last summer] “It gives them enormous confidence.”

That impressive form in June and July 2023 ended in an 8-8 draw, with Australia winning the one-off match at Trent Bridge meaning England lost in the white-ball leg in the way they really wanted to. minus Five wins in the six games to regain the Ashes. Of course, they arrived in eerily similar fashion, recording 2-1 wins in both T20I and ODI form, which still amounted to Australia’s first defeats in a bilateral white-ball form since 2017-18.

“It’s one thing to do it in a bilateral series compared to doing it in a World Cup final, and that’s one of the things Australia has going for them,” Shrubsole said. “But that Ashes performance showed that if England put pressure on them and play really good cricket, they can go toe-to-toe.”

England’s first three matches of the ongoing T20 International Cup were in Sharjah, where low, slow surfaces contributed greatly to the team’s strengths, with fewer than four front-row spinners in their opening wins over Bangladesh and South Africa. They modified that strategy slightly in their last game against Scotland, with Lauren Bell as an outright option, but Shrubsole is inspired by England’s willingness to do without the conference and the options that suited them. your needs.

“England have to be agile, but that quartet of spinners has been working very well,” he mentioned. “Linsey Smith bowls so well in the powerplay that she allows Sophie Ecclestone to bowl more in the middle and end. But those four spinners are exceptional and a real asset for England.”

England captain Knight is now approaching her ninth generation in the role, having replaced Charlotte Edwards in June 2016. It is a tenure that has coincided with the exponential expansion of women’s sport, meaning she has had to be spokesperson. out of tune and a leader in it, and for the most part Shrubsole believes he has balanced those needs with remarkable agility.

“She’s had to grow as women’s cricket has grown, and she’s been a real figurehead for that,” Shrubsole mentioned. “He speaks very well about the game and tries to push the agenda, which can sometimes be quite time-consuming and exhausting, and he has also had to work with a couple of coaches in that time. “He seems to have really embraced the change that Jon Lewis has brought. And she’s someone who also continues to evolve her game and lead from the front from that perspective.”

“One of his greatest strengths is his calmness,” Shrubsole mentioned. “He’s pretty unflappable. He’s the kind of guy you’d want in a tough situation, especially a chase. He thinks very clearly about what he’s doing in the game, and when he’s in full flow, it’s pretty hard to throw at him.

“She hits the ball harder than any cricketer in the women’s game, especially from the back base. But she’s just a really calming presence. She’s one of those people who, when she’s batting, you think everything is coming together. be fine.”

Shrubsole herself retired from professional cricket at the end of last summer, retiring in glory at Lord’s once again with victory in the women’s hundred final. This month, however, she renewed her association with the field by taking on a new role as chair of the MCC’s Players and Calendars sub-committee, tasked with boosting female membership at the club.

“I feel honored to be able to give a little bit back to cricket and hope to do something that will have a significant impact,” said Shrubsole, as Lord’s will host its first women’s Test, against India, in 2025.

Lord’s did not admit its first members until 1999, and last year the club was criticized by the Independent Commission for Fairness in Cricket (ICEC) review for not having done more for the women’s game, with the report finding that ” “Cricket’s house used to be primarily a man’s house.” However, the club’s female player base has been growing year on year and Shrubsole hopes her involvement can help accelerate that change.

“Everyone seems to be aware of the desire for MCC to change things a little bit in relation to gender equality, but some progress has been made in that dimension, which is really exciting, and I hope I can support moving things forward.” . ” Shrubsole mentioned.

“In the 14 or 15 years I played for England, if you don’t count the International Cup, we probably had two or three games at Lord’s, which doesn’t seem like a huge amount. It seems like ‘There will have to be a Women’s Global at Lord’s every summer , but with the next generation of Test, it turns out that love is moving in the right direction.”

Anya Shrubsole is the unused chair of the MCC Women’s Players and Accessories subcommittee. Anyone interested in becoming a member of MCC should contact the membership by emailing Ladies.cricket@mcc.org.united kingdom.