The group stages of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup conclude later this week, with four exhilarating fixtures having already taken place at Edgbaston Stadium earlier this month.
England opened the tournament with a strong performance against Sri Lanka, before a Sunday sell-out saw Netherlands play Bangladesh before India played Pakistan. Pakistan returned for a second fixture of the tournament at Edgbaston, concluding the World Cup fixtures in Birmingham by playing South Africa.
Across all four fixtures, players and coaching staff have spoken about the enjoyment of being at The People’s Home of Cricket. Here’s some of what they said…
What they said
England’s Danni Wyatt-Hodge after scoring a hundred at Edgbaston to help her country to a win on the tournament’s opening night:
“At Edgbaston in front of my family as well. It was really, really special.
“The atmosphere felt incredible when I was out there. Everyone cheering, wanting me to get that hundred as well. It gave me goosebumps and made me give that extra edge to want to do it.”
Netherlands are competing in their first T20 World Cup, with captain Babette de Leede speaking after their game against Bangladesh at Edgbaston:
“It was really special, I think, especially with the crowd we got in. Our family and friends are all here. It’s a beautiful ground. The environment was amazing.
“The experience itself was really, really cool. It would have been even better if we got a win, obviously. But yeah, I really hope we inspire a lot of people back home, especially girls, because this is – yes, this is so cool. I really, I wish this upon anyone playing cricket in the Netherlands.”
Indian captain, Deepti Sharma spoke following her team’s victory over Pakistan, with Edgbaston a sell-out. Over 18,000 fans turned up for the clash between the two teams, which was a new record for a Women’s T20 World Cup group fixture:
“We got so much support from the crowd and fans cheering for us, it felt like home conditions. We played last year’s World Cup at home and we didn’t feel like we were playing in UK.
It’s a good thing, and I can say that fans will come and support, and we will do our best — we will play our best cricket.”
Former Pakistan international and now Pakistan Head Coach, Wahab Riaz, despite falling to defeat against India, was pleased to be back at Edgbaston:
“It’s always good to be playing over here in Birmingham. We have played against each other a lot and it’s always good here.”