Our team features four world champions, four South Africans, and one player from Bangladesh – find out who they are
Vishal Dikshit06-Apr-20221 Alyssa Healy (wk),
Most runs in a Women’s World Cup ever, best score in a World Cup final (men’s or women’s), back-to-back-centuries in the semi-final and final… records, and more records. Healy, one of the most devastating batters in the game, had crossed 50 earlier in the tournament too, against India and Pakistan, but she took her game to the next level in the knockouts to stamp Australia’s authority in a World Cup yet again, to make her an automatic choice in this XI.2 Laura Wolvaardt,
South Africa’s most consistent batter in this World Cup, Wolvaardt also carried their top order on her shoulders in the absence of runs from her opening partner Lizelle Lee. Wolvaardt kicked off the tournament with five 40-plus scores in a row, including four half-centuries, that helped South Africa chase 225-plus totals against England and New Zealand to qualify for the semi-finals, although her 90 wasn’t enough against the Australians. Her trademark cover drives were in full display all along, and she ended up being South Africa’s leading scorer for two ODI World Cups in a row.3 Rachael Haynes,
If Healy was Australia’s aggressor, Haynes was the consistent anchor who played her role to such perfection that she was dismissed before Healy just once in the league games, and then once more in the final. She started the tournament with a 130, where she accelerated after negotiating a stifling bowling effort from England, and she laid the platform with Healy for Australia’s middle order in nearly every match.ESPNcricinfo Ltd4 Meg Lanning (capt),
The obvious choice for captain and middle-order mainstay. It’s almost as if Lanning’s arrival at the crease is a signal for an Australian win, and her dominance was on display against some of the best teams in the World Cup: an unbeaten 135 to chase down 272 against South Africa, 97 to slice through India in another stiff chase, and an 86 against England early on.5 Beth Mooney,
An average of over 100, a strike rate of almost 101, flexible up and down the order, and also a gun fielder, which make Mooney a must-have in the XI. She opened for Australia when she was the Player of the Tournament in the 2020 T20 World Cup but moved down to the finisher’s role and did the job with aplomb in the 50-over format to add another dimension to their already explosive line-up. She took some of the best catches in the tournament, and also made sure she was there to seal the chases after the top order had done the hard work.6 Sune Luus,
A legspinning-allrounder, Luus shone mainly with the bat with her three half-centuries, giving South Africa the much-needed solidity at No. 4 given the lack of runs from Lee, some instability at No. 3, and the absence of Dane van Niekerk. Luus’ calming presence also meant her best knocks came against some of the top sides – England, New Zealand and Australia – in the tournament, which included two close chases.Marizanne Kapp picked up her first five-for in ODIs during the World Cup•Getty Images7 Marizanne Kapp,
Need early wickets? Throw the ball to Kapp. Want a partnership broken? Just look at her and she’ll come running and do the job. Death overs? She’s at her mark already. Tight chases? She’ll smash those runs. One of the sharpest bowlers around, Kapp’s consistent contributions with the bat down the order helped South Africa win five matches in a row. Her best performances, too, came against the top sides: a five-for and 32 against England followed by two wickets and an unbeaten 34 versus New Zealand, and 30 not out off 21 balls against Australia.8Pooja Vastrakar,
One of the brightest young stars for India this tournament, along with Yastika Bhatia, Vastrakar was in the thick of things straightaway in India’s opening game when they slumped to 114 for 6 against Pakistan. A career-best 67 off 59 in a formidable stand with Sneh Rana meant India got a deep batting line-up, which she proved again with quick cameos down the order opposite Australia and Bangladesh. She was India’s second-highest wicket-taker, too – bowling is her primary skill – coming on mostly as second change to successfully break partnerships. Her back-to-back yorkers against Lea Tahuhu and Jess Kerr count as among the highlights of the tournament.9 Shabnim Ismail,
The best and one of the fastest bowlers in this World Cup, Ismail, fearsome and experienced, was consistent with her wicket-taking skills right from the first game, going wicketless in just one game out of the seven she bowled in. Ismail showed her knack of removing the big batters up front with her pace, short deliveries, movement off the pitch, and then with her slower variations in the death overs.Salma Khatun’s bowling was a big reason for Bangladesh’s impressive show in their maiden World Cup appearance•Getty Images10 Salma Khatun,
The ball she bowled to dismiss Lanning alone would have helped Khatun make this list. Her three-for had Australia in trouble, before they escaped, thanks to Mooney. Against West Indies earlier, she scored 23 to keep Bangladesh in the hunt in a 141 chase, and that was after she had picked up a couple of wickets. The 31-year-old offspinner’s ten wickets, the most for Bangladesh, in the tournament played a major part in the team’s good showing in their maiden appearance.11 Sophie Ecclestone,
Ecclestone was the best bowler of the tournament with a tally one-and-a-half times that of the next best, Ismail’s 14. Only 22, Ecclestone has already played over 100 games for England and her artistry in flight, drift and turn are testament to her ability and numbers. The left-arm spinner was England’s main weapon in the middle overs, and sometimes in the death too. Barring her inability to pick more than one wicket in 20 overs against Australia, over two games, she had an unforgettable World Cup, highlighted by her six-for against South Africa in the semi-final.