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March 7, 2009

Posted by Cri-Zelda Brits at 3:35 AM in Women's World Cup, 2009

Gearing up for crunch game



I am very excited that we are finally in Australia and that the World Cup is just a day away. I am looking forward to the chance to implement everything we have talked about in the last couple of months at our training camps and challenging myself against the best players in the world, some of whom I haven’t played against since the last World Cup in 2005 in South Africa. It was good to get a win under our belt against Pakistan in the warm-up matches while we were all pleased with our level of performance versus India.

I think that gave an illustration of the depth of our ability and what we can do in this tournament and we are all hopeful of getting a top four finish.

The West Indies game for us on Sunday is massive. Some of us have played them before, back in 2005, and we also have got information on some of their games, and we are very conscious they have the potential to be an excellent team if everything is going well for them.
We want to concentrate on our game and we know if we play well we should beat them and that should set us up to make it through to the Super Sixes.

On a personal note, I am determined to play to the best of my ability and focus on getting as many runs as I can. As I am no longer captain, there is more time to focus on my game and relax, and I am determined to make some big scores during the tournament.

During the first two warm-up games, the first time we have played under Sunette Loubser’s captaincy, I decided that it was appropriate not to make too many suggestions to her in the field, as all captains have very different styles, but she knows that I am there for her if she needs my support.

This is my first time in Australia and although the schedule is very busy I am looking forward to seeing some of the tourist sights in Sydney. There was a welcome function and I was so excited about having the opportunity to see places such as the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.

I feel that I have just about overcome my jetlag. There is a nine-hour time difference between Australia and South Africa, which potentially could have been a challenge, but we did as much as we could to prepare ourselves for this and we got some really good advice from the men’s teams.

All the squad tried to sleep on Australian time zones two days before we came out and even on the plane we were told when we were allowed to sleep and when we were not. With two consecutive warm-up matches after we arrived, we wanted to try and ensure we were not jetlagged, and this has seemed to have worked!

 
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The Contributors
Mithali Raj
Mithali Raj, India's former captain, has been on the international circuit for a decade. In August 2006, she led India to their first-ever Test and series win in England and capped off the year by winning the Asia Cup - the second time in 12 months - without dropping a game. India, under her captaincy, also reached the World Cup final in 2005. Now, as one of the senior members of the side, and the premier batsman, a lot will be riding on her for the two World Cups - 50-over and Twenty20 - that India will play in 2009.
Urooj Mumtaz
Urooj Mumtaz managed to juggle a course in dentistry along with captaining Pakistan. Their most recent triumph was qualifying for the World Cup next year and the 22-year old Urooj will lead a young team to Australia in hope of creating a favourable impression of the Pakistan women's team among the other sides as well as back home. A legspinner, she has a hat-trick against Zimbabwe.
Cri-zelda Brits
Cri-zelda Brits became South Africa’s captain at the age of 23, standing in for Shandre Fritze in the home series against Pakistan in 2007. She followed this by captaining the side to a 3-0 series whitewash against the Netherlands as well as winning the first-ever Test between the two sides by 159 runs. In 2008 she scored her maiden ODI hundred and led South Africa to a spot in the World Cup after beating Pakistan in the Qualifiers final in Stellenbosch. She also coaches the Northwest women's team, based in Potchefstroom, and runs her own academy.
Shelley Nitschke
Shelley Nitschke combines playing for Australia and her state with working in cricket, as a school officer. A useful spinner, her batting is also worth talking about – she has developed into a handy allrounder. Her major achievements to date are winning the 2005 World Cup, taking 7 for 24 against England in Kidderminster in 2005 and being nominated for the ICC Women's Player of the Year in 2006-07. Although she has played netball, softball and basketball, cricket has always been her stand-out sport.
Ebony Rainford-Brent
Ebony Rainford-Brent made history as one of eight England players to be handed a Chance to Shine coaching contract, allowing her flexibility around training. A top-order batsman, she fought back from what doctors thought was a career-killing back injury and could one day bowl again – calling her determined is an understatement. She is on the Surrey Academy and her Super 4s side is Diamonds. Proficient in basketball and athletics, she settled for playing cricket … and the drums.
Haidee Tiffen
Haidee Tiffen has played for New Zealand for more than ten years and is now their captain, having begun her career with Otago Under-21s before heading to Canterbury. She has played representational hockey, basketball and rugby – but cricket is her passion and won out over New Zealand junior hockey. She is particularly proud of winning the World Cup in 2000, reaching the 100-ODI milestone and being skipper. Her experience also includes playing for Sussex for two winters and she was also part of the first female academy in Lincoln. Somehow she also finds time to teach Health and PE at Hillmorton High School.
Isobel Joyce
Isobel Joyce,a class bat with a steely mentality, comes from a family full of cricketers - twin sister Cecilia plays alongside her for Ireland and brother Dom for the men’s national team, while another brother, Ed, plays for England and Middlesex. Her first half-century came against a strong New Zealand attack in Dublin in 2004 and her figures of 4 for 20 helped her side beat Scotland by six wickets in the European Championship in 2001, where Ireland won all their three matches. Her 46 against Netherlands in the summer of 2007 helped to maintain her place in the World Cup qualifiers in South Africa. She was in outstanding form with both and ball during the tournament, scoring 148 runs at 37 and taking 10 wickets at an average of 7. She ran out five Pakistani players in Ireland's first match, before earning two successive Player-of-the-Match awards against Scotland and then Zimbabwe, against whom she scored 70 and took 4 for 10. She was named captain for their next series, against West Indies, after Heather Whelan pulled out because she was expecting.
Nadine George
Nadine George has been a regular for West Indies since her debut in 1999. She first led the side on their tour of Europe in June-July 2008, when West Indies thrashed Ireland and Netherlands while putting up a respectable performance against England. Nadine combines playing for West Indies and her national team, St.Lucia, with her day job as a Sergeant in the Police Marine Unit of the Royal St.Lucia Police Force. A left-hand batsman and wicketkeeper, Nadine says the highlights of her career are receiving an MBE at Buckingham Palace in 2005, being the first West Indies woman cricketer to score a century in a Test (in Pakistan in 2004), playing in the World Cup in South Africa (2005), and playing club cricket in Australia in 2006. Nadine also plays netball and volleyball and loves the marine environment and is passionate about diving. She is a qualified open water diver and during her working hours captains a 65 and 82 ft vessel. Her motto in life is "with hard work and dedication one can achieve".
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