The ICC released the schedule for the Women’s Cricket World Cup warm-up matches earlier this week, with fixtures set to take place in India from 25 to 28 September. Each participating team is scheduled to play two practice games, except for former champions Australia, who will play just one. The decision reflects Australia’s approach to strike a balance between acclimatisation and player workload management, as they look to keep their squad fresh for the demands of the tournament proper.
Reigning champions Australia will face 2022 runners-up England in a warm-up match at the BCCI Centre of Excellence 1 Ground in Bengaluru on 27 September. However, by then, Australia will have already spent over two weeks in the subcontinent, with a three-match ODI series against India scheduled to take place in New Chandigarh and New Delhi from 14 to 20 September.
In a conversation with cricket.com.au, Australia’s head coach Shelley Nitschke said the packed schedule, including the upcoming ODI series and the tournament itself, was the primary reason for opting out of a second warm-up game.
The head coach said, “The last game of the bilateral series is the 20th of September, then our warm-up game against England is the 27th, so that just gives us a bit of time to travel, recover, and really get to make sure we’re fresh to go for the World Cup on the back of the bilateral series.”
She further added, “We thought taking another couple of days and just having the one warm-up, to give ourselves every chance to be ready but to also be fresh, was the best approach, considering we’ll have already been there for two weeks getting used to the conditions.”
On playing in India ahead of the World Cup, Shelley Nitschke highlighted, “We haven’t had a lot of ODI cricket in this (recent) period, so to get over there a bit earlier, play three games against a really good opposition, get used to the conditions, get used to the country, get over our jet lag, and just really start to settle in was just too good an opportunity probably to pass up, and hopefully that puts us in a good position to be ready to go come round one of the World Cup.”
Nitschke also acknowledged that they would have welcomed the chance to play a warm-up match at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, which will host a semi-final and the final, especially since Australia does not have a group match scheduled there.
She said, “That’s something we’ve spoken about … maybe if we’d had a second warm-up game that could have been there, but I think a lot of the players have had a chance to play there through the WPL and have enough experience there.”
She added, “Ideally, we would love to have a game there, but that wasn’t to be (and) we didn’t want to trade off the time to refresh after that bilateral series.”
Australia has endured a long winter break ahead of the 50-over tournament in India, having last played a series during their T20I tour of New Zealand in March.
Their most recent one-day fixtures were in the 50-over segment of the multi-format Ashes series in January. Nonetheless, Nitschke emphasised that the nationally contracted players have maintained their preparations through intensive training camps at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane.
Most of the players are scheduled to travel to England later this month to compete in The Hundred, while others, including national team captain Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath, Kim Garth, Darcie Brown, and Tess Flintoff, will represent Australia A in a series of 50-over matches against India A in Queensland next month.
Talking about the preparation, the head coach said, “It’s all been going pretty well, as good as can be expected. It’s been nice to get (the players) up here and to get out on turf through this time of the year (in Australian winters) is always a bonus. I think the players are ready now to get into some competition.”
The head coach described The Hundred as a crucial opportunity for players to return to competition and regain match fitness. She added that for those not participating in The Hundred, the Australia A series serves as an important platform to gain valuable game time before the team travels to India.
Five of the eight competing teams will be based in Bengaluru during the World Cup warm-up period, which will also include India A.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh will prepare for the tournament in Colombo, which is acting as the neutral venue where Pakistan will play all its group matches and any knockout games if they progress.
🏏 Australia Women’s ODI Tour of India
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September 14: First ODI – New PCA Stadium, New Chandigarh
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September 17: Second ODI – New PCA Stadium, New Chandigarh
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September 20: Third ODI – Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi
🏆 Australia’s Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 Schedule
Warm-Up
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September 27: vs. England – BCCI Centre of Excellence 1 Ground, Bengaluru
Round Stage
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October 1: vs. New Zealand – Holkar Stadium, Indore
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October 4: vs. Sri Lanka – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka
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October 8: vs. Pakistan – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka
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October 12: vs. India – ACA-VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam
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October 16: vs. Bangladesh – ACA-VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam
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October 22: vs. England – Holkar Stadium, Indore
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October 25: vs. South Africa – Holkar Stadium, Indore
Knockouts
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Semi-final 1: Guwahati or Colombo*, October 29
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Semi-final 2: Bengaluru, October 30
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Final: Bengaluru or Colombo*, November 2
*All games involving Pakistan are to be played in Colombo, including the semi-final and final if they qualify.
“Quotes sourced from Cricket Australia”
