Trisha Ghosal
With just over a month remaining before the WT20I World Cup begins in England on June 12, teams have entered the most crucial phase of preparation. Bilateral series and tri-series scheduled across England, Scotland, Ireland and Pakistan are no longer just warm-up assignments, they are auditions for combinations, confidence and momentum before the biggest tournament in women’s cricket.
For several subcontinent teams, arriving early in the United Kingdom has become a major part of the strategy. Adapting to English conditions, overhead weather, pitches and longer boundaries could ultimately determine how teams perform once the tournament begins.
Zimbabwe tour of Pakistan (Ongoing): Pakistan’s ongoing ODI series against Zimbabwe has already emerged as one of the biggest talking points in the lead-up to the World Cup. Pakistan defeating Zimbabwe was expected, but the manner in which they have dominated the series has stood out. More importantly, Pakistan’s recent run of 300-plus totals is no longer limited to weaker opposition. They had produced similar performances earlier against South Africa as well, underlining a genuine shift in the batting unit.
For years, Pakistan women’s cricket depended heavily on its bowling attack while the batting line-up remained inconsistent and fragile. That narrative appears to be changing. Captain Fatima Sana remains central to the side, but Pakistan are no longer reliant on individual brilliance alone. Contributions from players like Sadaf Shamas, Gull Feroza, Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz and Ayesha Zafar have added much-needed depth and stability to the batting order. With India set to open their World Cup campaign against Pakistan, the timing of this resurgence becomes particularly significant.
New Zealand tour of England: England, meanwhile, face a defining stretch before the World Cup. Their white-ball series against defending champions New Zealand, comprising three ODIs and three T20Is, will be England’s first international assignment since the 2025 World Cup semi-final defeat to South Africa.
Under new coach Charlotte Edwards, England have spent months in intense preparation camps focused heavily on fitness and fielding. Army-style training sessions became a major talking point after images shared by Lauren Bell showed players training in muddy and physically demanding conditions. However, training camps can only achieve so much. England now need match rhythm and pressure situations to assess whether the preparation has translated into performance.
For New Zealand, the tour represents a valuable opportunity to settle into English conditions early. Defending the WT20I title will not be easy, particularly for a side that has struggled with inconsistency. Players like Amelia Kerr remain match-winners capable of turning games single-handedly, but sustaining that level consistently remains New Zealand’s biggest challenge.
India Women tour of England: Immediately after the New Zealand series, England will host India for a three-match T20I series between May 28 and June 2. These matches will be India’s final T20Is before the World Cup and perhaps their most important preparatory assignment.
India enter the tournament carrying expectations after winning the ODI World Cup last year, but questions around T20 balance still remain. The recent South Africa series exposed a few concerns, especially regarding consistency in the shortest format. Head coach Amol Muzumdar has stressed the importance of learning from those setbacks, and the England tour now provides India the ideal platform to test combinations under World Cup-like conditions.
The series will also help India acclimatise to English surfaces before their opening World Cup clash against Pakistan. The return of Yastika Bhatia adds experience to the squad, though injuries to Amanjot Kaur and Kashvee Gautam has now put India in a situation where they need to figure out their playing combination all over again.
Scotland Women’s T20I series: Away from the spotlight of the bigger teams, the Women’s T20 Tri-Series in Scotland involving Bangladesh, Scotland and Netherlands could quietly become one of the most important tournaments before the World Cup. Bangladesh, coming off disappointing results against Sri Lanka, badly need confidence and competitive cricket against similarly matched opposition rather than another potentially demoralising series against stronger teams. Closely contested matches in Scottish conditions could provide exactly the kind of momentum they require before heading into the tournament specially because this Bangladesh team has never played in England.
Women’s Tri-Series in Ireland: The Women’s T20 Tri-Series in Ireland featuring Pakistan, Ireland and West Indies promises to be highly competitive. West Indies remain one of the most dangerous T20 sides despite their inconsistency, but much of their success still revolves around Hayley Matthews. Pakistan, in contrast, appear to be evolving into a more balanced unit with contributions spread across departments.
These series may not decide the World Cup, but they could shape how teams enter it – mentally, tactically and emotionally. In a format as unpredictable as T20 cricket, momentum and confidence often matter just as much as skill. Over the next few weeks, every team will hope they are peaking at precisely the right moment.
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