‘We’ve moved past that’: Aussies won’t be haunted by 2017 World Cup heartbreak

Australia had its heart broken at the last Women’s ODI World Cup, but Nicola Carey is expecting things will go differently this time around.

Nicola Carey says Australia is feeling confident ahead of the World Cup. Picture: Dave Rowland/Getty Images

All-rounder Nicola Carey insists Australia has moved on from the heartbreak it suffered at the 2017 Women’s ODI World Cup and says the side is “confident” it will go deeper into the follow-up tournament, which begins in New Zealand this week.

The defending champions in 2017, the Aussies were in second place after the group stage but were ambushed in the semi-finals by India and Harmanpreet Kaur, who belted the sixth-highest individual score in WODI history.

Seven of the Aussie XI that lost that game are in the squad for the follow-up tournament, but Carey insisted the side wouldn’t be haunted by history.

Watch every match of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup LIVE & FREE on Kayo Freebies. Join free now and start streaming instantly.

“That’s four years ago so hopefully the team’s evolved a fair bit in the last four years,” Carey said.

“I feel like that 2017 World Cup gets brought up a little bit, but I think we’ve moved past that.

“We’re coming into this feeling pretty confident.

“We’ve been pretty solid in this format over the last few years, so I think it’s going to be an exciting tournament.”

Australia missed out on playing in the final at the 2017 WODI World Cup. Picture: Stu Forster/Getty Images

Darcie Brown and Annabel Sutherland headline the young additions to the World Cup squad and Carey said Sutherland, in particular, was primed to create headaches for Australia’s rivals.

Sutherland broke into the Aussie WODI team in 2020 at the age of just 18 but since that game has appeared in only half of the ODIs Australia has played.

The 20-year-old quick has taken six wickets across her last two hit-outs and hit an unbeaten 54 with the bat in the second of those, a practice match against the West Indies on Sunday.

Coming in hot, Sutherland could cement her spot in the side once and for all with a strong campaign across the ditch.

“I reckon Annabel Sutherland will be quite difficult to play on these wickets,” Carey said on Monday.

“She’s sort of that into-the-wicket kind of bowler. If there’s a little bit in it, I reckon she’ll find that and she’ll get a bit out of it.

“(In the practice match) ‘Belzy’, with the bat, was amazing and has been really solid with the ball as well.”

Annabel Sutherland and Nicola Carey celebrate a wicket during the multi-format Ashes. Picture: William West / AFP

Named player of the series in both the women’s Ashes and the series against India last year, boom all-rounder Tahlia McGrath also looks set to come out firing in New Zealand.

“T-Mac has been incredible with the ball for us over the last couple of series, so I think she’s got a big role to play,” Carey said.

“We’ve got some spinners and other pacies that will complement that as well.

“I think our line-up is really well suited to these conditions.”

Carey admitted the form of Sutherland and McGrath could make it difficult for her to lock down a spot of her own.

“It’s a ridiculous side at the minute,” she said.

“It’s incredibly tough to get into this XI. I guess I’ll just have to take my opportunities when they come, whether it be in a warm-up game or whatever that may be.

“If I get an opportunity to play, I’ll certainly take that with both hands.”

Australia is set to meet New Zealand for one final practice match on Tuesday before facing England for its first official match of the tournament on March 5.