South Africa are set to host the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup for the first time since the tournament’s inception, with play taking place from 10 to 26 February in Cape Town, Paarl and Gqeberha.

The Proteas Women will be joined by nine teams all vying for their chance at glory, with the line-up led by defending champions, Australia.

Australia

Undoubtedly the favourites, Australia head into the 2023 edition ranked number one in the ICC Women’s T20 rankings. The women from Down Under have won the T20 World Cup a record five times in the seven editions it has been played, including the last time out in 2020.

Australia have featured in every final since the inaugural 2009 edition, with their sole loss against West Indies in 2016, and they are also the only side in the competition’s history to have reached the semifinals or better in every edition of the tournament.

England

Ranked number two in the world, England won the inaugural 2009 edition of the tournament, where they put on a dominant display in the final against New Zealand to secure the title in front of a home crowd.

Although they have yet to repeat their heroics of 2009, the English women have advanced past the group stages all but once in the tournament’s history. During that time, they reached the finals in 2012, 2014 and 2018. However, they lost out on all three occasions to Australia.

New Zealand

New Zealand got their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup career off to a flying start by reaching the finals of the 2009 and 2010 editions, losing to England and Australia, respectively.

Notably, New Zealand lost the 2010 final by just three runs after falling short in a dramatic run chase. The Black Caps then reached the semifinals of the 2012 edition in Sri Lanka.

However, since then it hasn’t been plain sailing. The third-ranked side in the world have only reached the semifinals in one of the last four editions, and they enter the 2023 edition on the back of two consecutive group stage knockouts.

India

Ranked fourth in the world, India began their T20 World Cup career with back-to-back semifinal appearances in 2009 and 2010. However, they followed it up with a string of three group stage knockouts.

In 2018, the Indian women rediscovered their form by reaching the semifinals, and they followed it up by making the finals of the 2020 edition, where they lost to a dominant Australian team.

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West Indies

Despite being ranked sixth in the world, West Indies are one of only three teams to ever win the T20 World Cup. After three consecutive semifinal appearances, the Windies women pulled off a victory against Australia in the final of the 2016 edition, while captain Stafanie Taylor was named Player of the Tournament. That was the only time the Australian women have lost in the final of the T20 World Cup in six appearances.

The West Indies followed up their 2016 triumph with a semifinal showing at home in 2018. And although they were knocked out in the group stages in 2020, they have proven time and time again that they cannot be overlooked in the T20 format.

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Pakistan

Ranked seventh in the world and having featured in every edition since the tournament’s inception, Pakistan have never advanced past the group stages and have won just seven of their 28 matches in the competition.

Sri Lanka

Eighth-ranked Sri Lanka, who hosted the tournament in 2012, have also featured in every edition of the tournament and are yet to advance past the group stages.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh first qualified for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2014 and have featured in every edition since. Ranked ninth in the world, they have never advanced past the group stages and have won just two of their 17 matches in the competition.

They hold the unfortunate record of the lowest team score in the tournament’s ­history, when they were bundled out for 46 against the West Indies in 2018.

Ireland

The 10th-ranked side in the world, Ireland have featured in three previous editions of the T20 World Cup, although their record leaves something to be desired. The Irish women have not won a match at the tournament in 13 attempts and will be looking to break their duck when the 2023 edition gets under way in South Africa.

Six of the best

Of the 150 players who will be on show in South Africa, these are six players who could light up the tournament:

Tahlia McGrath (Australia)

The 2023 edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup will be Tahlia McGrath’s first for Australia. The 27-year-old all-rounder made her T20 international debut in 2021 against India and has played 21 games in total.

On the bowling front, she has taken 13 wickets at an average of 15.23, highlighted by best figures of three for 13. However, she has been a standout with bat in hand, scoring 549 runs at an average of 68.62.

Natalie Sciver (England)

All-rounder Natalie Sciver (30) has played in four previous women’s T20 World Cups, and has represented her country on 103 occasions in the T20 arena.

Solid with both bat and ball, Sciver has taken 78 wickets with best figures of four for 15 (average 20.94). She was also the first English cricketer to take a hat-trick in a T20 international match, which she achieved against New Zealand in 2013.

On the batting front, Sciver has racked up 1,959 runs at an average of 25.11, including 10 half-centuries and a high score of 82.

Amelia Kerr (New Zealand)

Amelia Kerr has already represented New Zealand in 55 T20 internationals since making her debut as a 16-year-old in 2016. Now 22, the highly talented all-rounder will be playing in her third T20 World Cup for the Black Caps.

In her T20 career, Kerr has taken 52 wickets at an average of 22.46, with best figures of three for 16. She has also scored 544 runs at a handy average of 22.66.

Kerr holds the record for the highest score in women’s one-day international cricket after scoring an unbeaten 232 against Ireland in 2018. She was just 17 at the time.

Smriti Mandhana (India)

Smriti Mandhana of Team India hits out to win the Cricket T20 Preliminary Round Group A match between Team India and Team Pakistan on day three of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games at Edgbaston, England, on 31 July 2022. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

When Smriti Mandhana played in her first ICC Women’s T20 World Cup at the 2014 edition in Bangladesh, she was just 17 years old. Now 26, and a multiple winner of the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year award, Mandhana will be taking part in her fifth T20 World Cup.

In her illustrious career, the left-handed opening batter has played 111 T20 international matches for India, scoring 2,651 runs at an average of 27.61, which includes 20 half-centuries.

Hayley Matthews (West Indies)

Opening batter Hayley Matthews made her T20 international debut for West Indies as a 16-year-old in 2014.

She played in her first T20 World Cup two years later, and was instrumental in the final against Australia, scoring 66 off 45 balls to lead her country to a first world title.

She was named the Player of the Final for her efforts.

Despite opening the batting, Matthews has particularly shone with the ball during her T20 career.

In 78 games for the Windies, she has taken 74 wickets bowling right-arm off break – which includes four four-wicket hauls and best figures of four for 10.

Although she has scored 1,451 runs with the bat and has a high score of 107, ­Matthews averages just 19.34, which includes six 50s.

Marizanne Kapp  (South Africa)

Marizanne Kapp from South Africa bowling during the 2022 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Semifinal match between South Africa and England at Hagley Oval on 31 March 2022 in Christchurch, New Zealand. (Photo by Peter Meecham/Getty Images)

The experienced Marizanne Kapp (33) made her T20 World Cup debut at the tournament’s inaugural edition in 2009. And although she missed the 2010 edition, Kapp has played every tournament since.

The veteran all-rounder has represented the Proteas in 88 T20 internationals, taking 67 wickets with best figures of four for six (average 20.41), while scoring 1,120 runs at an average of 19.64, which includes two 50s.

And in what will be her seventh T20 World Cup, Kapp’s experience may prove vital for a South African side looking to advance past the semifinals for the first time. DM168

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R25.