Squads confirmed for ICC Women's WC

Australia captain Meg Lanning will lead her side in its quest to win the ICC Women’s World Cup for a seventh time. Australia is the defending champion and will begin its defence against the West Indies – the side it beat by 114 runs at the 2013 final in India.

Alongside Lanning in the squad is experienced campaigner Ellyse Perry, who will add experience in both the batting and bowling departments. The squad also includes pace bowlers Belinda Vakarewa, 19, and Sarah Aley, 32, who are both uncapped and could make their One-Day International debuts during the tournament.

Australia’s national selector Shawn Flegler said: “This is going to be one of the most tightly contested World Cups in recent times and we have chosen 15 players who we believe are capable of leading Australia to victory.

“There’s some great depth in the squad with the more experienced players complemented by a number of new faces who have shown they can hold their own at this level.

Australia, which is the top-ranked side in the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s Team Rankings, retains eight of the squad that was named for the last edition which Australia won, namely: captain Meg Lanning, Alex Blackwell, Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani as well as Jess Jonassen who was named in the 2013 squad but withdrew due to a knee injury.

Host England will be captained by Heather Knight who is taking part in her second ICC Women’s World Cup, and in the squad will be the vastly experienced Katherine Brunt, who has been part of squads that won the ICC Women’s World Cup as well as the ICC Women’s World Twenty20.

England captain Heather Knight said: “It’s such a dream to captain England in a World Cup on home soil; it’s not something that many cricketers can say they’ve done and it’s a real honour. There’s so much potential in this group of players and the opportunity ahead of us is really exciting.

“I’m very proud of all the girls in this squad, as cricketers and people. We’re a young group but we’ve made massive strides over the past 12 months and everyone has worked so hard. We know it’s going to be a tough tournament – and we won’t go in as favourites – but backed by home support we’ll do our best to challenge for the trophy.”

England has won the pinnacle tournament both times it hosted it – in 1973 and 1993.

Ten members of the 2013 squad have been retained for this tournament, namely: Heather Knight, Tamsin Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Georgia Elwiss, Jenny Gunn, Danielle Hazell, Laura Marsh, Anya Shrubsole, Sarah Taylor and Danni Wyatt. England is presently ranked second.

India captain Mithali Raj leads her side in a second successive World Cup. Opening batter Smriti Mandhana has been named in the squad despite not playing a competitive game since January after she sustained a knee injury during the Women's Big Bash League while the likes of Harmanpreet Kaur, Mona Meshram, Punam Raut, Jhulan Goswami and Ekta Bisht will give Mithali confidence.

New Zealand captain Suzie Bates (98 caps) and fellow batter Amy Satterthwaite (95) can both make their 100th ODI appearance at the ICC Women’s World Cup. Both played at the 2013 World Cup in India along with Sophie Devine, Katie Perkins, and Lea Tahuhu. The 16-year-old bowler Amelia Kerr will play in her first ICC Women’s World Cup.

New Zealand captain Suzie Bates said: “It’s going to be the most competitive World Cup ever. We know we’ll have to be on the ball from game one if we want to earn the right to contest the finals and maybe get to that big final game at the Home of Cricket.

“It’s a hugely exciting time for women’s cricket at the moment and we know we enter the tournament with plenty expected of the White Ferns - and that’s great.”

Pakistan has not been afraid to make changes and has got a new coach for the tournament, with Sabih Azhar replacing Kabir Khan. The Sana Mir-led side will be hoping that the experience of the likes of Bismah Maroof and Javeria Khan will hold the team in good stead.

South Africa boasts of some potential match-winners in captain Dane van Niekerk, Trisha Chetty, Marizanne Kapp, Shabnim Ismail, Sune Luus, Mignon du Preez and Chloe Tryon. Batter Andrie Steyn goes into the ICC World Cup in good form having scored 117 off just 123-balls in the recent Quadrangular series match against Ireland.

Sri Lanka has named eight players who featured at the 2013 ICC World Cup, namely captain Inoka Ranaweera, Dilani Manodara, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Prasadani Weerakodi, Sripali Weerakkody, Chamari Athapaththu, Eshani Lokusooriya, Udeshika Prabodani snd Shashikala Siriwardena.

West Indies, led by star all-rounder Stafanie Taylor, has named four uncapped players for the tournament. Reniece Boyce, Quiana Joseph, Akeira Peters and Felicia Walters are all in line to make international debuts in England.

SQUADS:

Australia: Meg Lanning (captain), Sarah Aley, Kristen Beams, Alex Blackwell, Nicole Bolton, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Belinda Vakarewa, Elyse Villani and Amanda-Jade Wellington.

England: Heather Knight (captain), Tamsin Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Georgia Elwiss, Jenny Gunn, Alex Hartley, Danielle Hazell, Beth Langston, Laura Marsh, Natalie Sciver, Anya Shrubsole, Sarah Taylor, Fran Wilson, Lauren Winfield and Danielle Wyatt.

India: Mithali Raj (captain), Ekta Bisht, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Jhulan Goswami, Mansi Joshi, Harmanpreet Kaur, Veda Krishnamurthy, Smriti Mandhana, Mona Meshram, Nuzhat Parween, Shikha Pandey, Punam Raut, Deepti Sharma,  Sushma Verma and Poonam Yadav

New Zealand: Suzie Bates (captain), Erin Bermingham, Sophie Devine, Maddie Green, Holly Huddleston, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Katey Martin, Thamsyn Newton, Katie Perkins, Anna Peterson, Rachel Priest, Hannah Rowe, Amy Satterthwaite and Lea Tahuhu

Pakistan: Sana Mir (captain), Asmavia Iqbal, Ayesha Zafar, Bismah Maroof, Diana Baig, Ghulam Fatima, Javeria Khan, Kainat Imtiaz, Marina Iqbal, Nahida Khan,  Nain Abidi, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Yousuf, Sidra Nawaz and Waheeda Akhtar

South Africa: Dane van Niekerk (captain), Trisha Chetty, Moseline Daniels, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Shabnim Ismail, Nadine de Klerk, Lizelle Lee, Sune Luus, Raisibe Ntozhake, Mignon du Preez, Andrie Steyn, Chloe Tryon and Laura Wolfvaardt.

Sri Lanka: Inoka Ranaweera (captain), Chamari Athapaththu, Chandima Gunaratne, Nipuni Hansika, Ama Kanchana, Eshani Lokusooriya, Harshitha Madhavi, Dilani Manodara, Hasini Perera, Chamari Polgampala, Udeshika Prabodani, Oshadhi Ranasinghe, Shashikala Siriwardena, Prasadani Weerakodi and Sripali Weerakkody

West Indies: Stafanie Taylor (captain), Merissa Aguilleira, Reniece Boyce, Shamilia Connell, Shanel Daley, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Qiana Joseph, Kyshona Knight, Hayley Matthews, Anisa Mohammed, Chedean Nation, Akeira Peters,  Shakera Selman and Felicia Walters.