On the front foot: Fresh ethos driving Australia's four-peat bid

The Black Panther mantra is out.

Now, Australia are determined to get on the front foot and deliver the first punch against their T20 World Cup rivals, as they target an unprecedented fourth consecutive title.

The Aussies famously channelled the Marvel superhero on their path to the 2020 title on home soil, as they sought to absorb the pressure from their opponents before forcing that energy back on them.

It was an approach that served them well over the couple of years that followed, as they added the 2022 ODI World Cup, 2022 Commonwealth Games gold and 2023 T20 World Cup to their trophy cabinet.

But a dramatic Ashes campaign a little over 12 months ago, that saw a resurgent England storm back from a 6-0 deficit to tie the multi-format series, forced a rethink from an Australian group well aware they must evolve to remain No.1 in the world.

"It was a question of, ‘How do we throw the first punch?’," Alyssa Healy told cricket.com.au in Dubai this week.

"The last however many number of years, I feel we've really been like the hunted in this format, and people come out really, really hard at us and want to knock us off our game early.

"In the 2020 World Cup, we spoke a lot about absorbing that and then putting it back on the opposition.

"But I think the Ashes last year really showed us that teams are throwing a lot (more) at us now, and we need to adapt and evolve and change the way that we're thinking about the game and almost try and throw that first punch to get ahead of the game, instead of trying to catch up."

Achieving a fresh approach required work both on and off the field, Healy explained.

That started with the batting department, and the ongoing question of how Australia can extract the best out of their ultra-deep batting line-up.

There was also a personal challenge for Healy and opening partner Beth Mooney.

"We looked at the power play as a real area of focus, and we've made some really big gains in that regard … our work at the death has also improved significantly," Healy said.

"With the power play being a huge focus, that's a lot on me, and that's a lot on Moons as well.

"We're both been there for a long period of time, but it was a chance for us to kind of go, 'Okay, maybe we need to approach it slightly differently’."

Another outcome has been the deployment of burgeoning allrounder Georgia Wareham at No.3 when the occasion demands.

Her elevation came as a surprise in the second T20I against Bangladesh in Dhaka in March. It was in a match where Phoebe Litchfield and Grace Harris opened the batting, so it was unclear whether just how experimental the move was.

But the Victorian's pinch-hitting abilities have been used up the order twice more in five matches since, once against New Zealand last month, and again during Australia's second warm-up game in Dubai.

"I can safely say (Wareham at No.3) hasn't just been an experiment," Healy said.

"If you look at our team and the way that we line up, we're blessed with so much depth, and it's actually (a question of) how do we use that depth that we've got?

"Annabel Sutherland's batting at like, eight or nine for Australia, which is almost a travesty.

"I can safely say that you'll see a bit of that (inventive) stuff throughout this World Cup in particular, with the way that we shape up with our XI.

"We've got the flexibility to be able to throw players around in the order and give them opportunity to break the game open, but also then give our players who do bat through the middle the license to just get themselves in and play a match-winning knock in that regard."

When it comes to the bowling side of things, Healy conceded there it would still be necessary to absorb pressure to a degree – but rather than sitting back in the face of an onslaught, Australia have plotted new ways to proactively build pressure of their own.

"Teams are coming really, really hard at us, and it's about absorbing a little bit and also creating pressure," she continued.

"The way that we played the last series against New Zealand, we didn't always take wickets up front, but we built enough pressure over time that it created perceived pressure on the scoreboard that created wickets.

"We've had to be a lot smarter with the ball, that's for sure, and probably a little bit more skilful as well and think about some different ways that we can bowl at oppositions."

In June, the Australian-contracted group made the most of a rare winter without an overseas tour to reconnect as a squad away from the game.

They spent several days in the tropical paradise that is Queensland’s Moreton Island, bonding through various ‘Survivor’ style games and tasks.

It was also a chance to sit down reflect on what they stand for as a team, and where they want to go in the future.

"I feel like we've been on tour non-stop for a little while now and we've seen a lot of change over that period of time, and we hadn't really had an opportunity to sit down and talk about it," Healy explained.

"It was a chance to get away as a group and reevaluate where our group is at and where we want to head moving forward.

"It culminated in us completely changing our values, resetting some standards around the group, and hearing from the next generation about what they think is really important, which I absolutely loved.

"Those moments are rare. You're on tour a lot of the year, and you hang out a lot, but the opportunity to sit there and just talk about life away from cricket was really valuable."

Australia's most recent iteration of their previous set of values – originally set in the aftermath of their 2017 ODI World Cup exit and tweaked over the following years – included the terms ‘evolve’, ‘fearless’ and ‘team first’.

Healy was reticent about the exact words that form her team's new ethos – although she did let slip that "connection" is one – but she was effusive about the influence the group's youngest players had on the conversation.

"We'd made some small changes over the past sort of four or five years since (the values) were last redone ... (this time) the floor was open to the group and we came away with three brand new values.

"When you look at this group, they could be together for the next 10 years playing for Australia.

"The fact that they're owning that themselves, and really driving that around the group is pleasing as an older athlete."

While Australia are keen to hold their new values close to their chests for the time being, there are subtle signs of the transformation that is taking place for those who look closely enough.

Eagled-eyed observers during the New Zealand T20 series spotted slogans stuck to the side of the players' drink bottles – a different one for each player.

Curiously, fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck's is adorned with "slow down".

"It's an opportunity for people to put down their little quote or whatever it might be on there, and not just own it themselves, but have the rest of us keep them accountable as well," Healy explained.

"Mine's 'be brave' and to have that visually represented in front of the group allows them to keep me accountable as well.

"Tay's being 'slow down' is quite hilarious, but she actually bowls faster the more she slows down – the smoother she is, the faster she is, so she's got to slow it down to make that happen."

The Australian-contracted players and staff were also presented with a range of caps and hoodies prior to their departure for the World Cup, featuring symbols that represent their new values.

That was a project led by Ellyse Perry and player development manager Carla Dziwoki, Healy explained, and another small touch bringing the group closer together.

"What I've learned over the last 18 months is we've actually got quite a creative, artistic hidden side of our group, which is really cool," she said.

"So you might see some hats or some shirts floating around … we want to live these values day-by-day through our actions, but (we were thinking about) how else we could represent them.

"Connection is one of our values, and part of being a really connected group is knowing more about your teammates and understanding what makes them tick.

"The reality of touring and being away is that you don't spend time with everybody within the group all the time, and that's completely fine.

"But I think understanding what makes your teammates tick out on the field is huge."

Healy knows a fourth straight T20 World Cup title here in the United Arab Emirates will not come easily.

India, England and South Africa have made significant strides in recent years, while other contenders including Sri Lanka, Pakistan and West Indies are ready to pounce if a higher-ranked opponent is off their game.

Teams tend to throw everything at a showdown with Australia – even when there is nothing material on the line. 

"We were talking about how Ireland beat us in a warm-up game before the last World Cup in South Africa – even in a warm-up fixture, teams are switched on and ready to play us, which can be seen as quite daunting," Healy said.

"At the same time I think it's motivating for our group to know that teams are coming really hard.

"If we want to stay at number one, we're going to have to work really hard and continue to evolve.

"I've never quite seen a group so aligned in their drive to being better and wanting to continue being at the top of their game."

2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup

Warm-up matches

September 29: Australia defeated England by 33 runs

October 1: Australia defeated West Indies by 35 runs

Australia's Group A fixtures

October 5: v Sri Lanka, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, 8pm AEST

October 8: v New Zealand, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, 1am Oct 9 AEDT

October 11: v Pakistan, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, 1am Oct 12 AEDT

October 13: v India, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, 1am Oct 14 AEDT

Finals

October 17: Semi-final 1, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, 1am Oct 18 AEDT

October 18: Semi-final 2, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, 1am Oct 19 AEDT

October 20: Final, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, 1am Oct 21 AEDT

For the full list of fixtures click here. All matches live and exclusive on Prime Video. Sign up here for a 30-day free trial