Australia the hunted: Former cricket great declares Aussie World Cup dynasty is under threat

They’ve won three consecutive T20 World Cup titles, but Australia has been put on notice, with a former cricket great declaring two rivals are closing in on the superstar team.

Australia’s all-conquering women’s team has been warned that its six-year World Cup dynasty is under serious threat next month.

The hunters are about to become the hunted.

Rival countries have been powerless to stop Australia’s extraordinary run of claiming four consecutive ICC global trophies, but former great and Fox Cricket commentary ace Mel Jones believes England and India are primed for an ambush at the upcoming T20 World Cup in the UAE.

Australia will take on New Zealand in a three-match T20 series starting in Mackay on Thursday and Jones senses the heat is on Alyssa Healy’s team to find another level if they’re to stop arch-enemies England and India from bringing down the curtains on their era of dominance.

“When you look at world cricket, as dominant as Australia has been, I think they’ll be looking over their shoulder a little bit,” Jones told this masthead ahead of Thursday’s blockbuster live on Kayo and Fox Cricket, which serves as a direct warm-up to the T20 World Cup kicking off in October.

Phoebe Litchfield (L) and commentator Mel Jones launch the T20 World Cup. Picture: Supplied.

“I think England and India and South Africa have been phenomenal in their build-up the last 12 months.

“Personally, I think this will be their biggest challenge on the world stage coming up.

“Having seen England during the recent Hundred commentating with Sky … there’s more and more players knocking on the door. They’ve got that formula they want to play – an attacking style of play, and in T20 cricket, if that comes off, you’re up against it.

“Then with India and the WPL, it’s the same thing. You’ve got players coming through that are ready to play on the international scene.”

Australian players have been given three million extra reasons to add another World Cup trophy to their bulging cabinet, after prize money for the T20 tournament was doubled to nearly $12m.

The winners will share in $3.4m, more than double the $1.5m awarded for winning in 2023, Australia’s their third straight T20 World Cup triumph.

Even the losing finalists will walk away with $1.7m, which is more than the Australians received when Meg Lanning lifted the trophy last year.

T20 World Cup prize money will now be equal for men and women. Picture: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

It brings the tournament in alignment with the men’s competition. India received $3.6m earlier this year for winning the men’s T20 World Cup.

Australia’s superstar batsman Phoebe Litchfield says her team is well aware that the burgeoning women’s franchise T20 leagues around the world is playing a huge role in closing the gap on their dominance of rival nations.

The men’s Indian Premier League has changed cricket over the past 15 years, in the sense superstar players are now completely familiar with each other’s games and know their opponents intimately.

A similar phenomenon is now sweeping women’s cricket thanks to the success of the Hundred and the Women’s Premier League and it has Australia on high alert for an England and India assault at the T20 World Cup to be staged in the UAE.

Australia has won the past three T20 World Cups as well as the most recent ODI World Cup – but the intimidation factor the Aussies have held over their rivals has been somewhat neutralised by the global T20 leagues.

“I think massively. I just finished playing the Hundred and you’re facing or playing with most of the England line-up,” Litchfield said.

Phoebe Litchfield is confident in Australia’s squad depth. Picture: Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images

“It does make a difference (both ways) … you don’t really think of it at the time, but you go, ‘OK, those 20 balls I faced of Sophie Ecclestone, that’s probably going to do wonders for my learning and preparation when we face England. But the same goes for them being familiar with us.

“I think England and India are probably the two main threats. On their day, both teams can be the best in the world – it’s probably we just do it more days.

“I still think our depth is much stronger than most teams so hopefully we can use that to our advantage.

“Playing in some of the streak of four world cups in a row … I use it as a confidence point. It’s a privilege to have that pressure and we’re the best for a reason, so why don’t we go out there and show it?

“I don’t necessarily think it’s a negative thing, but we can use it definitely as a positive thing.”

Originally published as Australia the hunted: Former cricket great declares Aussie World Cup dynasty is under threat