Nasser Hussain: England must use early ICC Women's T20 World Cup games to plan for bigger teams later in tournament

Nasser Hussain believes that for England to win the ICC Women's T20 World Cup victory on home soil, they'll need to be making sure they lock in on the data from every single game.

Around 220,000 tickets have been sold for the tournament, an all-time record, and England are expected to have a similar groundswell of support to what they had during the thrilling drawn Women's Ashes three years ago.

England, who have won every World Cup they have staged, are amongst the favourites as they seek to end a 17-year wait to win the tournament – which can be streamed for FREE via the Sky Sports App. Nat Sciver-Brunt's side started their campaign with a resounding 87-run win over Sri Lanka in front of an encouraging attendance of 14,865 at Edgbaston on Friday night.

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Despite the comfortable nature of that victory, former England men's captain Hussain thinks reviewing every game in granular detail is key to allow the hosts to plan meticulously for when they face some of the teams fancied to win the tournament.

"They've got to make sure they're planning ahead for those big games," Hussain said speaking ahead of England's T20 World Cup clash with Ireland on Tuesday.

"We all know England in bilateral cricket and in World Cup cricket, they beat sides ranked below them, they beat them very well.

"Then the bar's raised, and the pressure's on, and suddenly they can't get over the line. Suddenly, they feel that pressure. Suddenly, the fielding goes missing, and under pressure the batting goes missing as well.

"I've always said about the England women... I did a series last summer against the West Indies, and they beat West Indies easily, T20 series, and Hayley Matthews got runs, as she often does.

"If I was [England head coach] Charlotte Edwards, I would have said, not 'Well done, we won', I would have said, 'How did we bowl to Hayley Matthews? How did we bowl the other day to (Sri Lanka's) Chamari Athapaththu?'

"Because when we play Australia in a semi or a final, we will have six or seven [players like] Hayley Matthews coming out. You get Beth Mooney off strike, and Phoebe Litchfield fills there, or Georgia Voll, or Annabel Sutherland.

"So you sort of do your thinking on 'How did we go against the best?' and that's how you analyse how you'll go in those bigger games."

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Former England player Tash Farrant, who went to the 2022 World Cup with England before being forced to retire due to a recurring back injury earlier this year, knows plenty of the current squad well.

She agrees taking advantage of the data available could provide England with some key flexibility, particular as they consider which bowlers to unleash at the best opposing batters.

"You can only play what's ahead of you," she said. "They have got Ireland next, and they almost need to have a proper chat about how they're going to bowl at Orla Prendergast. That's Ireland's best player, what was our execution percentage when Orla Prendergast was going at the death?

"That's the only thing I worry about this England side is still, who is going to bowl at the death? I think Lauren Bell is the set one and Linsey Smith's probably going to bowl at the death.

"I wouldn't mind seeing Sophie Ecclestone. I feel she's been taking a little bit of tap inside the power play, and because they've got Linsey, unless she sort of bowls a bad first couple of overs, I just think Linsey can front-load her overs in the power play, and then [Ecclestone] is bowling better in the middle.

"It's not always about stats as well, it's about those big match players, and I do think Ecclestone is one of them.

"So, could they potentially move a bit more in the middle and have her bowl yorkers? She's almost England's best yorker bowler, even though she's a spinner, a bit like what Dani Hazell used to do back in the day, so I slightly worry about that death bowling.

"As an option, could they try and get Ecclestone to be almost that death bowler with Lauren Bell? Not just because of her skills, but actually I just feel she lifts her game in those bigger pressure moments when they come later on down the line."

Bell relishing 'responsibility' to deliver match-winning wickets for England

Lauren Bell says she relishes the "responsibility" on her shoulders to take match-deciding wickets throughout the tournament.

The 25-year-old is set for her first T20 World Cup match at her home ground of the Hampshire Bowl, where England could name an unchanged XI, meaning Bell operates as the only specialist seamer supplemented by all-rounders Freya Kemp and Dani Gibson, with captain Sciver-Brunt not yet cleared for a bowling return.

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Since making her debut in 2022, Bell has developed into England's dependable quick following the retirements of Anya Shrubsole and Katherine Sciver-Brunt, a role the 25-year-old relishes.

"I had a lot to learn from my debut to now and I've done it on the international stage, it's been incredible," Bell said. "You get challenged by the best in the world and that's where you learn.

"I'm really happy with where I'm at and my role in this team. I'm in it to take powerplay wickets and come back at the death. It brings out the best in me, having responsibility and a really clear role."

Bell has been prominent in the build-up to this World Cup and had a photoshoot with British Vogue, and she hopes the extra attention can bring more young women and girls into the cricketing fold.

"I guess it is all part of the job now," Bell added. "It's something that's rapidly evolved over the last few years and it's another way of getting eyeballs on the game.

"I think it's really important. I do really enjoy it because growing up I didn't have that female role model so I'm really passionate about having that for younger girls and inspiring them to take up cricket."

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