Australia's cricket team is not taking anything for granted as they prepare for their upcoming match against first-time finalists South Africa in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023. Although Australia has won five out of the seven previous T20 World Cups, they have never faced the host country in the finals. Australia's captain, Meg Lanning, believes that the pressure will be on everyone since it is a summit clash. Lanning and her team are ready for the challenge, despite expecting little support when they step out at Newlands on Sunday.
In the pre-match press conference, Lanning said that South Africa is playing really well, and they are expecting them to come out and play to their full strength. She also mentioned that the semi-final against England had an incredible atmosphere, and the crowd was certainly cheering for the home team, as expected. Despite this, Lanning and her team are ready for the challenge and are pumped up to play a great game.
Australia secured their seventh consecutive final spot after a nail-biting five-run win over India, which Lanning described as "one of the best." With another tense encounter expected in Cape Town against the host nation, Lanning hopes that holding their nerve in the tense last-four clash will serve as the perfect preparation. She added that being put in pressure situations before helps them learn a lot, and they learned a lot from the semi-final where they were under the pump a fair bit.
Lanning emphasized that they have to stay in the game and be ready to take their chances when they get them. She added that South Africa will have momentum, and the crowd will be on their side, but they accept that. However, when they get the chance to play the way they want, they have to make sure that they do that because that is how they will win the game.
Lanning announced six months ago that she would be taking an indefinite break from cricket for personal reasons. Still, she is determined to make the most of the occasion and said that these are the games that you want to be involved in because you never know when your next chance might be. She is staying super relaxed, enjoying the opportunity, and embracing everything that comes with it. The stage is set for an exciting and challenging match between Australia and South Africa in the T20 World Cup finals.