Ever had one of those nightmares where you study your socks off for an exam but when you show up to sit it, the paper in front of you isn't the one you revised for? If so, you'll have some sympathy with England's predicament before the Women's T20 World Cup which starts today: not in Bangladesh, as originally intended, but in the UAE.
Twelve months ago, the England and Wales Cricket Board hired a head of cricket intelligence, Liam Sanders, and tasked him with helping to achieve something England have not managed since 2009: winning a Women's T20 World Cup. Sanders and his team gamed every possible scenario, including having the captain, Heather Knight, miss a match against New Zealand in July with just an hour's notice, mimicking what might happen if illness struck.
But in August, with civil unrest in Bangladesh, the ICC announced the tournament was upping sticks. For Sanders and his team, 12 months of work went down the drain. It was back to the drawing board, with a mere six weeks to rejig the plan.
Esta historia es de la edición October 03, 2024 de The Guardian.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición October 03, 2024 de The Guardian.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Premier League pulls rank
Clubs' pressure over data deal set to deepen tension with EFL
Guardiola agrees City contract extension
Pep Guardiola has agreed a new one-year contract with Manchester City in a huge boost for the Premier League champions, the new terms taking his tenure to the summer of 2026.
Great Britain 'gutted' after dramatic loss extends 43-year wait
Great Britain's hopes of reaching the Billie Jean King Cup final for the first time in 43 years were ended as they suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat by a spirited Slovakia team yesterday.
Fifth runner disqualified from London's dirtiest race
The London 2012 race, regarded as one of the dirtiest in history, has expunged yet another name from the record books after Tatyana Tomashova was stripped of her women's Olympic 1500m silver medal.
Nadal reliant on rescue from Spain teammates after singles defeat
As the Spanish national anthem rang out for possibly the final time in his career, Rafael Nadal could not stop his emotions from flowing.
Plans to play Barcelona v Atletico in Miami dropped
La Liga has dropped plans to host next month's fixture between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in the US, although the Spanish top flight still intends to host domestic games abroad in future.
Chelsea criticise homophobic abuse of Kerr and Mewis
Chelsea's captain Millie Bright and manager Sonia Bompastor have strongly condemned homophobic abuse aimed at Sam Kerr, after the Chelsea striker and her partner, West Ham's Kristie Mewis, shared news that they are expecting a baby.
Wiegman 'concerned' by Kelly's lack of game time before USA test
Sarina Wiegman said Chloe Kelly's lack of action for Manchester City was concerning after including the forward in the England squad to play friendlies against USA and Switzerland.
Wales seal promotion after Cullen sparks emphatic win
Given the strides Wales have made under Craig Bellamy in the past three months, for supporters the only dampener is that they now have to wait another four to witness the next step on this journey.
"There are times you just need to survive day-by-day mentally'
The big interview Toto Wolff Mercedes F1 team principal on his struggles with mental health, losing Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari and the accusations against his wife, Susie
