By Admin 
Rachael Haynes believes it is going to be a close women’s ODI World Cup. And she knows a thing or two about winning them as she has two glittering trophies in her cabinet.
“I think it is going to be a really hard-fought tournament, and it’s going to be tricky,” the former Australian captain told The Hindu here.
“In the ODI series, we have seen the conditions that Indian and Australian players have played in. It is going to be really tough physically for players, spending a long time in the field in the heat and then having to switch into batting mode if you get that opportunity.”
Looking ahead to the World Cup, starting in Guwahati on September 30, she wouldn’t mind India and Australia facing off in the final. “I would absolutely love to see that,” says Haynes, who was the second highest scorer at the last World Cup in New Zealand with 497 runs at an average of 62.12, contributing handsomely to Australia’s victory.
Which teams does she fancy playing in the semifinals at this World Cup?
“Apart from Australia and India, I think England will be there,” she says. “Charlotte Edwards is such a fantastic coach. Heather Knight coming back into the side will make a difference. And I feel South Africa will get through just.”
Haynes, who made 2585 runs from 77 matches and struck two hundreds and 19 fifties, feels the World Cup will give another boost to women’s cricket in India. “I even noticed it, flying into India, the interest in women’s cricket was very visible,” she says.
“You could see that people were talking about the tournament, that it is being promoted. And this is a real opportunity for the Indian side and a huge privilege (for India) to play in a home World Cup and to have that support around.”