Kolkata: The 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier is all set to begin from February 7 and will continue till February 21 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Ten teams will play for cementing their spots and join the top four women’s sides. The teams which emerge in the top 4 of the qualifiers will get to play the prestigious tournament in June-July in England.
The teams which earned the top 4 positions in the 2014-16 ICC Women’s Championship automatically qualified for the 2017 World Cup, while the bottom 4 teams earned themselves a spot to participate in the 2017 Women’s World Cup Qualifier.
Currently, the top 4 teams are Australia, England, New Zealand and West Indies while the bottom 4 include India, South Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. However, the bottom 4 will be joined by Bangladesh and Ireland to play the qualifiers since they have an ODI status. By winning the regional qualifiers, Zimbabwe, Thailand, Papua New Guinea and Scotland also join the above mentioned 6 teams. The top 4 teams which emerge out of qualifiers get to play the Women’s World Cup. So, here we bring to you some of the great talents from these 10 teams, who are expected to create a mark in this year’s qualifiers:
Deepti Sharma (India)
Deepti hails from Agra and considers herself as a fan of Suresh Raina. The newly excavated talent from the Indian women’s team is all set to continue from where she left in the 2015 home series against the Kiwis. Just 19, her talent surpasses her age completely. A handy spinner, her ability to rotate the strike and sharp fielding make her a complete player. If she performs according to the expectations, India have high chances to play the World Cup.
Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka)
An integral part of the Sri Lankan cricket team, Chamari Athapaththu’s sensational knock against England in the 2013 World Cup is bound to grab the attention of both, the fans as well as the other teams. She can play the role of an aggressor as well as that of an accumulator which makes her ever dynamic. She considers herself an admirer of the attacking playing style of Sanath Jayasuriya.
Precious Marange (Zimbabwe)
A veteran at 34, there have been few players as vibrant as her. She has even represented her national side in Rugby. She manages to play despite the fact that she is a mother. An explosive left-handed batsman and medium pacer, she adds a lot of vibrancy to the squad.
Kim Garth (Ireland)
The fact that Garth has become the new face of Ireland cricket is a testimony to her talent and her impact on the game. Having known for her incisive bowling, she made her mark by being a part of the Sydney Sixers team that won the Women’s big bash league 2016-17. The Irish is surely expected to bowl out the opposition
Sornnarin Tippoch (Thailand)
The left-handed wicket-keeper batsman has had her moments from the Asia Cup last year when she stumped off India’s Veda Krishnamurthy. In the World Cup regional qualifiers she was chosen as the Player of the Series. She has helped Thailand earn a spot in the qualifiers and is expected to carry on her splendid performance.
Sune Luus (South Africa)
The 21 year old Protean has had a phenomenal 2016 when she became the second woman to score a half-century and take a five-for in an ODI. She scored 52 runs and got 6 wickets. The leg- spinner also became the first woman to take a five-for at the Women’s World T20. These led her to get selected in the ICC Women’s Team of the Year.
Anam Amin (Pakistan)
The left-arm spinner was one of Pakistan’s best weapons in the ICC Women’s T20 Championship in 2016. She took 7 wickets in 4 matches and also became one of the leading wicket takers in the ICC Women’s Championship. Often known for gulping the batsman through provoking deliveries, she opens the bowling for her side.
Rumana Ahmed (Bangladesh)
A spin bowling all-rounder by nature, Ahmed took over as the skipper of the Bangladeshi side after the T20 World Cup in 2016 and we must say that she has worn the skippers’ cap well. Under her leadership, the Bangladeshi side registered a memorable win against the South Africans in a home series. She is currently the leading run scorer of the team and also the joint leading wicket taker.
Kathryn Bryce (Scotland)
The 19-year-old has made a good impact in International cricket after guiding her team to win the European qualifiers and has played a pivotal role in bringing the team to Sri Lanka for the World Cup qualifiers. Her team heavily depends on her.
Ravini Oa (Papua New Guinea)
Her sensational performance in the East Asia Pacific Region qualifiers helped her country seal a place in the 2017 World Cup qualifiers. The match winning performance of 3 for 19 against Samoa in the regional qualifiers shall be remembered by her fans, as it helped them seal the series. All eyes on her.