Women's T20 World Cup: Australia's 'formality' victory sends warning to international game
- Published
Women's T20 World Cup: Best moments
Is it possible to get bored of winning?
"No. Not at all," is the answer, according to Women's T20 World Cup winner and player of the tournament, Australia's Ash Gardner.
But when one team is so dominant - winning six of the past seven T20 world titles, including Sunday's success over South Africa, and being 50-over and Commonwealth Games champions - there is a danger of monotony and risking its relevance.
Sport needs competitiveness to survive, and in international women's cricket, its predictability could be its downfall.
"It just feels like a case of 'what's next?' for Australia's players," said England all-rounder Georgia Elwiss on BBC Test Match Special as Meg Lanning's side hugged and embraced one another on the Newlands outfield.
"There's only a quick celebration. Australia winning, it's just become a formality."
Acknowledging this concern is not to discredit what Australia have achieved over the past decade.
They set the benchmark, reaping the rewards of a well-funded domestic system. They set the standard of ultimate professionalism in every aspect of the game, from athleticism in the field, to their mental toughness, to always finding a way to win.
"Australia have been professional for six years longer than England," said former England spinner Alex Hartley on BBC Test Match Special. "You have to have the time to be professional.
"Teams are getting closer, although I do fear that Australia, England and India are getting further away from anyone else."
South Africa provide much-needed surprise
Best of Wolvaardt's half-century against Australia
While the tournament started with a shock result with Sri Lanka beating the hosts and eventual finalists South Africa, the rest of the fixtures followed the expected trends and the final four ended up being a repeat of the 2020 World Cup.
Only then though, when Cape Town was treated to two nail-biting semi-finals, did the competition feel alive.
"We've seen improvements from some teams," said Hartley. "Pakistan for me were the most-improved side but they dipped after they started well.
"South Africa didn't win the World Cup but they won the hearts of their country."
England batter Tammy Beaumont, who was working for Sky Sports, said: "Women's cricket is certainly moving forward. Australia are getting better and the top three or four nations are raising the game, but below that there is a really good level of competition."
And on the occasion of the final, it felt like South Africa's achievement - it was the first time they have had a men's or women's team in a world final - played out in front of thousands of adoring and passionate fans, was the story.
It is not that the result of the final felt irrelevant, but more an inevitability - and the question has to be asked whether that is sustainable for the international game going forward.
"I don't think Australia's dominance is a good thing," said Elwiss.
"It's good to have a benchmark to aspire to, and it was great to see South Africa reach this final, but I don't think any of us really believed they could do it without an outstanding performance and a poor one from Australia."
But for South Africa, lessons must be learned.
In 2016, West Indies shocked the world by defeating Australia to claim T20 glory and there was a sense of excitement and of a potential shift in the game.
But since, they have drastically declined, going 15 T20 matches without a win in the build-up to this tournament and without a domestic set-up, they have failed to replace players that have retired.
Since then, England won the 50-over title in 2017 and Australia have won everything else.
"Days like the final are really important," said former England captain Nasser Hussain on Sky Sports. "If it had been an England-Australia final again, it wouldn't have been such a spectacle and you're not growing the game.
"There will be girls in the crowd that will play the game because of what South Africa have done."
England and India 'not too far off'
Australia beat India in semi-final thriller
Somewhat ironically, England and India, teams who looked most capable of challenging Australia, failed to make the final.
But it should not be the case in a world tournament that the main aim of the group stages is to avoid Australia in the semi-final.
India were the only team to beat Australia in 2022 across all formats, and even that came from a super over, but the frustration for England is that they arguably dominated the group stages more than the eventual champions did.
"I still firmly believe England would have a greater chance of beating them than anyone else," said Hartley.
"I've got no doubt that England will look at this and make comparisons."
But while there is hope that England and India can disrupt the world's best, an international sport cannot be sustained by just three teams.
Franchise cricket disruption looms
A few days in, the group stages were overshadowed by the auction for the Women's Premier League (WPL), an Indian franchise competition where players like India's Smriti Mandhana and Nat Sciver-Brunt made life-changing money.
Franchise leagues are ever-growing in men's cricket, sometimes to the detriment of international teams, and women's cricket faces the same risk.
West Indies' all-rounder Deandra Dottin retired from international cricket to be a franchise specialist and Lizelle Lee is following that path after retiring from playing for South Africa because of fitness issues.
The game has reached a point where, with the likes of West Indies and South Africa, players' franchise gigs are likely worth more than their international contracts.
The WPL will undoubtedly showcase women's cricket like never before, building on the brilliant platforms already set by The Hundred in England and Wales and the Women's Big Bash League in Australia.
But England and Australia's central contracts provide much more security, a benefit that the other countries cannot afford - and the international game cannot afford it either.
There is hope that women's editions of the SA20 and the Pakistan Super League will start to bridge that gap, and ensure international cricket remains competitive.
But until then, while England or India might end Australia's reign soon, the gap is not getting any smaller.