Crowd concerns and a lack of data, the Women’s T20 World Cup is a step into the unknown

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Louise Thomas

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Alice Capsey only turned 20 in August but she is already preparing for her second T20 Women’s World Cup.

A product of the Hundred and already an established figure on the ever-expanding women’s franchise circuit, Capsey has already played more cricket at the highest level than many a few decades older than her would ever have thought possible.

Aged just 16 and decked in Oval Invincible turquoise, Capsey was striding out to bat alongside Georgia Adams in front of more than 20,000 people at the Oval. She never looked back but has not taken the journey for granted.

“Heather [Knight] spoke about when she made her T20 debut, it was basically in front of just friends and family and then, when she got her cap in India in December playing in front... I think we had 40,000 people there,” Capsey tells The Independent.

“That’s the difference and I guess how far the game has come on in the last couple of years. That was a kind of ‘pinch me’ moment and a bit of realisation about how far it has come, and for the senior players, the journey they’ve had in their career.”

Crowds might be a new feature of women’s cricket – 11 years ago, the Ashes Test match was played at Wormsley in front of a handful of spectators – and it can help inspire the players.

“I think I’m in a very fortunate position where my whole career I’ve played in front of big crowds, it feels like,” Capsey says. “I think it almost... because it’s so noisy you can’t think, it almost clears your mind and you can just go out there and enjoy.

“I think I agree, when you have that extra pressure, as athletes and people who are very competitive, it just flips a switch and the adrenaline goes and more often than not, you probably get the best out of yourself when you’re in those situations.

“I love the energy that playing in front of a crowd brings as well, I think it just puts me into that fifth gear. It’s just a really cool thing to be happening now in the women’s game and it’s becoming more and more regular which is so exciting.”

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However, the Women’s T20 World Cup, which starts on Thursday in the United Arab Emirates, is not expected to attract more than a handful of spectators. The tournament, moved at late notice because of the rise of political tensions in Bangladesh, is certain to mirror the men’s tournament held in the UAE in 2021 in failing to attract more than a smattering of fans.

While Capsey expressed her gratitude to the UAE for stepping in as hosts, and accepts the lack of crowds as part of the process, more problematic for many teams will be the lack of data.

Since 2014, there have been only 22 top-tier women’s T20 internationals in the UAE, as well as some World Cup qualifiers, and teams will not know how the pitches will play until the tournament starts.

Dew played a significant role in the variable pitch conditions in the men’s tournament three years ago, with those who won the toss benefitting massively, but women’s cricket is different.

“Coming to the UAE, there hasn’t been much women’s cricket played here so no one has a great idea of what the conditions are going to be. So I guess it means everyone’s on a bit of a level playing field,” Capsey says.

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“There’s been a huge amount of men’s cricket here so you can look at how the pitch has played and how players have played. But what we’ve found over the last three or four years is men’s and women’s cricket is very different.

“For us, it’s about looking at what’s in front of us and figuring it out as quickly as possible. Communication is going to be really key, I think, between the bowlers and batting in partnerships, trying to work out what’s best.

“But I think when it comes to not knowing conditions it’s a level playing field, we’re all in the same boat and it’s just who can adapt quicker than the other team.”

England’s tournament starts against Bangladesh in Sharjah on Saturday, where Knight’s side will have to adapt to a pitch they will not have played on before the match itself.

England are among the favourites for the tournament, alongside India and Australia, and will want to top a group that includes Scotland, South Africa and the West Indies to ensure a favourable draw in the knockout stage.