Women's T20 World Cup 2023: Players to watch, predictions & how to follow on the BBC

The Women's T20 World Cup starts connected 10 February, with world-beaters Australia looking to support their title from 2020.

BBC Sport person teamed up with erstwhile England spinner and BBC Test Match Special pundit Alex Hartley to get her predictions and players to look retired for.

What is the format?

The format is simple: 10 teams, 2 groups of five. Each broadside plays 4 radical games betwixt 10 February and 21 February.

The apical 2 successful each radical spell done to the semi-finals (23 & 24 February), with apical of Group 1 playing 2nd successful Group 2 and vice-versa.

The last takes spot connected Sunday, 26 February.

• Pick your 2023 victor and trial your England players knowledge
• Women's T20 World Cup schedule
• Women's T20 World Cup squads

Team guide, players to ticker & predictions

Australia (Group 1)

Ranking: First 2020 result: Winners Form (most caller first): WWWWWLWWWW

The juggernaut successful women's cricket and arguably the world's astir palmy sports squad of each time, Meg Lanning's Australia person won it all.

They person triumphed successful 5 retired of the past six T20 World Cups, and besides clasp the 50-over trophy and won the Commonwealth Games successful Birmingham past summer.

A super-over decision by India was Australia's lone nonaccomplishment crossed each formats successful 2022, and it volition apt instrumentality thing conscionable arsenic peculiar to halt them from winning this clip around.

"Darcie Brown is going to beryllium cardinal for Australia with the caller ball," says Hartley. "She's 1 of the fastest successful the crippled and has large power of her variations, too.

"Grace Harris is going to person a large relation to play with the bat. She's truthful almighty and tin alteration a crippled successful the abstraction of astir 10 balls. Australia volition trust connected her if they bash suffer speedy wickets, due to the fact that of however destructive she is successful the mediate bid and astatine the extremity of an innings."

Alex Hartley's prediction: Winners BBC Sport's prediction: Winners

England (Group 2)

Ranking: Second 2020 result: Semi-finals Form (most caller first): WWWWWWLWLL

England disappointingly exited the last T20 World Cup successful the semi-finals, and finished a disappointing 4th successful the Commonwealth Games, truthful Heather Knight's broadside volition beryllium keen to enactment things close successful South Africa.

But they are a broadside afloat of assurance and benefitting from the expanding professionalism of the home game, with youngsters coming done to complement the acquisition of the likes of Knight, the Sciver-Brunts and Danni Wyatt.

"Lots of the conversations astir England thin to absorption connected their experienced players similar Heather Knight and Nat Sciver-Brunt, but I deliberation Lauren Bell is going to person a large tournament," says Hartley.

"She's an in-swing bowler, took 9 wickets successful 3 games erstwhile England thrashed West Indies successful December, and due to the fact that she's truthful tall, she gets awkward bounce and that volition origin batters problems.

"Alice Capsey could besides beryllium key. She's truthful explosive, precisely what they person been looking for astatine the apical of the order. They volition request to justice her fittingness aft she broke her collarbone, but she could get England disconnected to truly speedy starts with the bat, which is truthful important successful T20."

Alex Hartley's prediction: Runners-up BBC Sport's prediction: Semi-finalists

New Zealand (Group 1)

Ranking: Third 2020 result: Group signifier Form (most caller first): WWWWWWWWLW

New Zealand person ne'er won the T20 World Cup but produced 1 of their champion results erstwhile they bushed England successful the bronze-medal lucifer astatine the Commonwealth Games, truthful they person the imaginable to origin immoderate upsets.

They person a pugnacious archetypal brushwood against Australia but with South Africa, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh making up the remainder of Group A, they basal a precise bully accidental of making the semi-final.

Their occupation could beryllium deficiency of preparation, arsenic they person not played competitively since the opening of December.

"Their captain Sophie Devine is going to person a immense relation to play due to the fact that of however overmuch T20 cricket she's played each astir the world," says Hartley. "New Zealand are heavy reliant connected her due to the fact that she is destructive with the bat, a large skipper and a utile bowler. Getting a Commonwealths medal volition person fixed them truthful overmuch confidence, too.

"Molly Penfold is a bowler with the imaginable to person a breakthrough World Cup. She's precise quick, a spot erratic astatine the infinitesimal but that tin unsettle batters, truthful if she plays she volition person a existent impact."

Alex Hartley's prediction: Semi-finalists BBC Sport's prediction: Group stages

India (Group 2)

Ranking: Fourth 2020 result: Runners-up Form (most caller first): LWWWLLLWLW

India precocious won the Under-19 World Cup and with the announcement of the Women's Premier League to instrumentality spot successful March, could 2023 beryllium the breakthrough twelvemonth Indian women's cricket has been waiting for?

Making finals is not a problem, it's winning them. India lost the 50-over rubric to England successful 2017, and mislaid the T20 last successful 2020 and the Commonwealth Games final to Australia.

But they were the lone broadside to decision Australia successful 2022, and if they tin clasp their nervus successful the large moments, they person the imaginable to spell each the way.

"Renuka Singh Thakur is an in-swing bowler who had a large Commonwealth Games and is present 1 of the champion successful the world," says Hartley. "She is utilized smartly and volition sometimes vessel her 4 overs close astatine the apical due to the fact that of however overmuch plaything she gets.

"With the bat it's hard to look past Smriti Mandhana. She is the glue that's held India unneurotic for truthful agelong astatine the apical of the order, and arsenic a left-hander she throws teams disconnected equilibrium sometimes."

Alex Hartley's prediction: Semi-finalists BBC Sport's prediction: Runners-up

South Africa (Group 1)

Ranking: Fifth 2020 result: Semi-final Form (most caller first): WWWLWLLLLL

South Africa's World Cup mentation has been overshadowed by the contention surrounding their skipper Dane van Niekerk, who was near retired of the squad for failing to conscionable the required clip successful a two-kilometre clip trial.

They had a turbulent 2022, reaching the semi-finals of the 50-over World Cup earlier being thrashed by England successful the summertime white-ball series.

Much lies connected the shoulders of prima all-rounder and woman of Van Niekerk, Marizanne Kapp, seamer Shabnim Ismail and batter Laura Wolvaardt. But they concluded their World Cup mentation by beating India and West Indies successful the tri-series, and connected location ungraded inactive person potential.

"Nonkululeko Mlaba has conscionable risen to 3rd successful the ICC bowling rankings and is simply a canny left-arm seamer," says Hartley. "She is consistent, precise steady, and volition complement the explicit gait of Shabnim Ismail nicely.

"Laura Wolvaardt plays done the disconnected broadside similar cipher other successful the world. She scores large runs and scores them quickly, and she is going to beryllium captious for South Africa's batting."

Alex Hartley's prediction: Group stages BBC Sport's prediction: Semi-finalists

West Indies (Group 2)

Ranking: Sixth 2020 result: Group signifier Form (most caller first): LLLLLLLLLL

West Indies' caller signifier speaks for itself - they are a broadside successful disarray. They were thrashed 5-0 by England successful December earlier losing the tri-series to South Africa and India, and though those are 3 pugnacious teams to play earlier a World Cup, it was West Indies' deficiency of competitiveness that was alarming.

They are excessively reliant connected skipper and all-rounder Hayley Matthews, and aft Deandra Dottin's daze status successful 2022 they are truly lacking acquisition and big-game players.

"They utilized to beryllium specified a brilliant, dynamic broadside truthful it's a shame to spot however mediocre they person been recently," says Hartley.

"Hayley Matthews has the value of the satellite connected her shoulders - she has to instrumentality each their wickets and people each their runs. If she does well, truthful does the team, but she cannot bash it each azygous time.

"They are hopeless for Stafanie Taylor to get acceptable due to the fact that she could boost their experience, and possibly instrumentality the captaincy backmost from Matthews, but if they cannot bash that they volition truly struggle."

Alex Hartley's prediction: Group stages BBC Sport's prediction: Group stages

Pakistan (Group 2)

Ranking: Seventh 2020 result: Group signifier Form (most caller first): LLLWLLWWWL

Pakistan are a much-improved broadside and portion they whitethorn not vie with the likes of Australia, England and India, they boast immoderate breathtaking young players coming done and are benefitting from accrued vulnerability to planetary cricket.

But World Cup mentation provided a one-sided bid against Australia, and the gulf betwixt the best-funded nations continues to grow.

They were dealt an wounded stroke erstwhile prima bowler Diana Baig fractured her digit successful the one-day bid against Australia, truthful their deficiency of acquisition could beryllium costly.

"Pakistan are a overmuch amended broadside precocious and they are good balanced, which I deliberation volition spot them decorativeness higher than the likes of West Indies," said Hartley.

"Nida Dar is going to beryllium captious with the bat. She had a large 2022 truthful if she tin support up that consistency she could person a precise bully tournament. She is 1 of their lone batters who tin bat with powerfulness and find the bound regularly.

"Fatima Sana can plaything the shot and vessel a accordant enactment and length, but tin besides springiness it a whack with the bat too. She is their main menace successful presumption of taking wickets."

Alex Hartley's prediction: Group stages BBC Sport's prediction: Group stages

Sri Lanka (Group 1)

Ranking: Eighth 2020 result: Group signifier Form (most caller first): LWLWWWWLLL

Sri Lanka are heading into the World Cup without a full-time coach, which could hinder their preparation, arsenic good arsenic the information they person not played a competitory T20 since the Asia Cup successful October.

But they had a bully tally successful that tournament, beating Pakistan and Bangladesh earlier losing to India successful the final.

"It's hard to look past Chamari Athapaththu for Sri Lanka," says Hartley. "She has played franchise cricket each astir the world, and everyone ever remembers her period against Australia successful the 2017 World Cup. She's got agelong levers and truly hits the shot hard and volition clasp their batting together.

"Inoka Ranaweera is a truly experienced subordinate and utile left-arm spinner. She's 36 years aged truthful knows her crippled good and had a truly bully Asia Cup, truthful volition beryllium hoping to instrumentality that signifier forward."

Alex Hartley's prediction: Group signifier BBC Sport's prediction: Group stage

Bangladesh (Group 1)

Ranking: Ninth 2020 result: Group signifier Form (most caller first): LLLLLWLWWW

Bangladesh are improbable to vie against the bigger teams successful the World Cup, but their younker is promising,

In the Under-19 World Cup they kicked disconnected their run by beating Australia, and arsenic a effect of that tourney person called up 4 of the players from the squad to the elder ranks.

"Captain Nigar Sultana Joty is going to beryllium truthful important due to the fact that she had a large tally successful the qualifiers, averaging astir 78 with the bat, which is truthful impressive," says Hartley. "They thin to sound the shot astir and play arsenic a squad - they don't truly boast galore powerfulness hitters.

"But they person called up Shorna Akter from the under-19 team, who is simply a almighty subordinate with a strike-rate of astir 150 truthful that could marque a existent difference, and she besides bowls leg-spin which is ever a large weapon.

"I deliberation they could origin immoderate astonishment results successful their group."

Alex Hartley's prediction: Group stages BBC Sport's prediction: Group stages

Ireland (Group 2)

Ranking: 10th 2020 result: Did not play Form (most caller first): WLWLWWWLWW

Ireland did not diagnostic astatine the past World Cup successful 2020, but travel successful to this 1 with assurance aft a historical bid triumph implicit Pakistan successful November connected their archetypal sojourn to the country.

They were dealt a stroke erstwhile 1 of their champion players, Kim Garth, near the state for Australia and successful an unthinkable communicative has present been named successful their squad.

"It is simply a large accidental for Ireland to play connected the biggest signifier again and amusement what they're about," says Hartley. "They've got immoderate established players similar Gaby Lewis - she's lone 21 but has got much than 100 caps for Ireland already.

"Amy Hunter is 1 to watch. She scored a period astatine the property of 16 and has a precise agleam future."

Alex Hartley's prediction: Group stages BBC Sport's prediction: Group stages

How to travel connected the BBC

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Live substance updates, accompanied by in-play video clips, volition besides beryllium connected the BBC Sport website and app, alongside lucifer reports, investigation and features.

Alex Hartley and England bowler Kate Cross volition bring you behind-the-scenes news, absorption and gossip from the campy successful No Balls: The Cricket Podcast.

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