ICC Women's World Cup: Everything You Need To Know

The ICC Women's Cricket World Cup is all set to kick off on March 4, with hosts New Zealand facing off against West Indies at the Bay Oval in Tauranga in the tournament opener.

The 12th edition of the tournament will feature the best players from eight different countries battling it out in 31 matches over 31 days, with Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Tauranga, and Wellington hosting the matches across six different venues.

Ahead of the tournament, here's everything you need to know about the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup:

Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, West Indies

All the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup squads

The tournament will be played in the league format, where all eight teams will face each other once, at the end of which the top four teams will qualify for the semi-finals.

The ICC have also tweaked their playing conditions for the tournament to include the ability to have matches go ahead with just nine players should Covid hit one of the competing teams.

The tournament commences on March 4 with the hosts New Zealand facing West Indies.

Two massive rivalries take place in the following days, with Australia taking on England at Seddon Park in Hamilton on March 5, and India facing Pakistan in Tauranga on March 6.

The two semi-finals will be played on March 30 and 31, at Basin Reserve and Hagley Oval respectively.

The Final will be played on April 3 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

Both the semi-finals and the Final will have a reserve day in place.

How to Watch

AUSTRALIA

Squad

Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Darcie Brown, Nic Carey, Ash Gardner, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington

Travelling reserves: Georgia Redmayne, Heather Graham

Key Player

**Alyssa Healy -**There's a reason why Healy is rated as the best ODI batter in the world on the MRF Tyres ICC Women's Batting Rankings, with her ability to score quickly at the start of an innings an important feature of the 31-year-old's game. Healy has three ODI centuries and 13 half-centuries to her name for Australia, but it's her impressive strike rate (99.39) in 50-over cricket that stands out.

Fixtures

5 March v England
8 March v Pakistan
13 March v New Zealand
15 March v West Indies
19 March v India
22 March v South Africa
25 March v Bangladesh

BANGLADESH

Squad

Nigar Sultana (c), Salma Khatun, Rumana Ahmed, Fargana Hoque, Jahanara Alam, Shamima Sultana, Fahima Khatun, Ritu Moni, Murshida Khatun, Nahida Akter, Sharmin Akhter, Lata Mondal, Sobhana Mostary, Fariha Trisna, Suraiya Azmin, Sanjida Akter Meghla

Key Player

**Nigar Sultana -**Much is expected of the Bangladesh captain with the bat and behind the stumps and it will come as no surprise to see the 24-year-old be a breakout star of this tournament. Sultana has already scored an international century in 50-over cricket and has shown the ability to compete well with the best attacks in the world on previous occasions.

Fixtures

5 March v South Africa
7 March v New Zealand
14 March v Pakistan
18 March v West Indies
22 March v India
25 March v Australia
27 March v England

ENGLAND

Squad

Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone, Tash Farrant, Amy Jones, Emma Lamb, Nat Sciver (vc), Anya Shrubsole, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danni Wyatt.

Travelling Reserves: Lauren Bell, Mady Villiers

Key Player

**Tammy Beaumont -**The England opener always seems to save herself for the big occasion, so expect to see the 30-year-old score plenty of runs in New Zealand. Beaumont topped the scoring charts at the 2017 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup with a whopping 410 runs and looked to be in good touch during the recent Ashes series against Australia.

Fixtures

5 March v Australia
9 March v West Indies
14 March v South Africa
16 March v India
20 March v New Zealand
24 March v Pakistan
27 March v Bangladesh

INDIA

Squad

Mithali Raj (c), Harmanpreet Kaur (vc), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Sneh Rana, Jhulan Goswami, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh Thakur, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav

Key Player

**Jhulan Goswami -**The veteran quick might be nudging closer to her 40th birthday, but Goswami still remains one of the most consistent seamers in women's cricket and her record in 50-over cricket supports this. Goswami picked up 10 wickets at the last ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in 2017 and remains one of the most feared bowlers in the game.

Fixtures

6 March v Pakistan
10 March v New Zealand
12 March v West Indies
16 March v England
19 March v Australia
22 March v Bangladesh
27 March v South Africa

NEW ZEALAND

Squad

Sophie Devine (c), Amy Satterthwaite (vc), Suzie Bates, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Melie Kerr, Frankie Mackay, Rosemary Mair, Katey Martin, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu

Travelling Reserve: Molly Penfold

Key Player

**Sophie Devine -**Devine's experience with bat and ball is invaluable, but it is perhaps her tactical nous that is her most underrated asset of all. The White Ferns skipper always sets good fields and generally rotates her bowlers well to ensure batters don't become too comfortable. Devine can also turn a game with bat or ball and will be crucial to the fortunes of the home nation.

Fixtures

4 March v West Indies
7 March v Bangladesh
10 March v India
13 March v Australia
17 March v South Africa
20 March v England
26 March v Pakistan

PAKISTAN

Squad

Bismah Maroof (c), Nida Dar (vc), Aiman Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Ghulam Fatima, Javeria Khan, Muneeba Ali, Nahida Khan, Nashra Sundhu, Omaima Sohail, Sidra Amin and Sidra Nawaz

Key Player

**Nashra Sundhu -**The slow left-armer is Pakistan's most reliable performer with the ball and her impressive average of just over 28 at international ODI level is testimony to this. Sundhu is sure to be used in the middle overs of an innings to try and quell the run rate of opposition teams.

Fixtures

6 March v India
8 March v Australia
11 March v South Africa
14 March v Bangladesh
21 March v West Indies
24 March v England
26 March v New Zealand

SOUTH AFRICA

Squad

Suné Luus (c), Chloé Tryon (vc), Ayabonga Khaka, Lara Goodall, Laura Wolvaardt, Lizelle Lee, Marizanne Kapp, Masabata Maria Klaas, Mignon du Preez, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Tazmin Brits, Trisha Chetty, Tumi Sekhukhune

Travelling reserves: Andrie Steyn, Nadine de Klerk, Raisibe Ntozakhe

Key Player

**Marizanne Kapp -**Rated as the third-best allrounder on the ICC Women's ODI rankings, Kapp is a player to keep a close eye on in New Zealand. The 32-year-old recently played a pivotal role in helping the Perth Scorchers claim the WBBL title and is just as capable in 50-over cricket. Kapp can also be quite effective with the bat, with her middle-order hitting a strength for the South African side.

Fixtures

5 March v Bangladesh
11 March v Pakistan
14 March v England
17 March v New Zealand
22 March v Australia
24 March v West Indies
27 March v India

WEST INDIES

Stafanie Taylor (c), Anisa Mohammed (vc), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Chinelle Henry, Kycia Knight, Hayley Matthews, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Shakera Selman, Rashada William

Travelling Reserves: Kaysia Schultz, Mandy Mangru, Jannillea Glasgow

Squad

Key Player

**Stafanie Taylor -**The West Indies allrounder is a proven match-winner on her day and is always the wicket that opposition teams want most. Taylor is just as adept with her slow off-spin and is definitely one to keep an eye on.

Fixtures

4 March v New Zealand
9 March v England
12 March v India
15 March v Australia
18 March v Bangladesh
21 March v Pakistan
24 March v South Africa