London [UK], June 5 (ANI): Former England captain Nasser Hussain predicted that reigning champions New Zealand, Australia, England and India will reach the semifinals of the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup.

The upcoming edition will start from June 12 in UK, with England and Sri Lanka starting the tournament at Birmingham. Team India will start their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on June 14 at Birmingham.

Hussain stuck his neck out and suggested six-time champions Australia, tournament hosts England, reigning ICC Women's Cricket World Cup winners India and reigning title holders New Zealand would be the four teams most likely to reach the knockout stages.

'Australia and England,' Hussain said on The ICC Review.

'I just said West Indies could surprise, but I am going to go with the reigning champions, New Zealand (as the third).'

Out of runners-up of the past two editions, South Africa and India, he went with the Women in Blue for how they have raised their game in big games.

'And then I do not know out of India and South Africa, but I am going to go to India because I think they raised their game in big games,' he said.

'You saw that in the 50-over World Cup. If you can beat Australia in a 50-over World Cup and then beat South Africa. I think they are slightly better in a big knockout game than maybe a bilateral game, as we have seen against South Africa and England.'

'So they are my four. But it could well be South Africa and the West Indies. Who knows? In this format, it is very difficult to predict who'll get out of the group stages,' he concluded his point.

Hussain did suggest that 2016 champions West Indies were more than capable of reaching the semi-finals and could be the team most likely to surprise.

'I have gone through virtually this whole podcast without mentioning the West Indies actually,' Hussain recalled.

'And you know, they have won this tournament, so I don't know if you can be dark horses and be the West Indies cricket team, but I just think no one is mentioning, and for that, they knocked England out in Dubai (at the 2024 event).'

'When you have Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin back, and Chinelle Henry and I think, and they are improving, quite a few of their players do go around playing franchise cricket and a few of them have played here in England in The Hundred.'

'I think that West Indies-New Zealand game in particular, I can see maybe West Indies getting out of the group, actually. They should not be dark horses because they have always been a great sporting nation, but I think no one is mentioning, I can see them doing quite well,' he concluded his point.

Hussain expects Australia to prove to be the hardest team to beat at the T20 World Cup and thinks it makes sense that one of their players will finish as the leading run-scorer, as they will feature in the most games.

'I think Australia will go all the way. Now, whether they win the final or not, who knows? But that means whoever plays for Australia will play the most games with someone on the other side of the final,' Hussain suggested.

'And if you bat in the Powerplay, you are going to get the most chance to get the most runs.'

'And if you are as good and talented and consistent as Beth Mooney, you are going to get a lot of runs. And she has played a lot of cricket in England. She has played a lot of cricket, full stop. But she has played a lot of cricket in England. I am going to go with Beth Mooney,' he concluded his point.

In 118 women's T20Is, Mooney has scored 3,545 runs at an average of 41.22 and a strike rate of 125.53, with two centuries and 28 fifties. She is Australia's highest run-getter in the format. She holds the record for most runs in a single T20 WC edition, with 259 runs in six innings at an average of 64.75 and a strike rate of 125.12, with three fifties in the 2020 edition.

While many of the teams at the T20 World Cup have loaded up on spin options, Hussain still expects pace to play a major role at the event and has picked out England's fast bowling spearhead Lauren Bell as his selection to finish with the most wickets.

'Well, again for similar reasons, a side that may go all the way. I underline the word 'may' there. England,' Hussain commenced.

'They are going to play a lot of games and you want someone bowling in the Powerplay, the chance of getting wickets, and someone bowling at the death chance of getting wickets. So I am going to go Lauren Bell.'

'She has really worked hard on new ball bowling, swinging it out now and in, but she can do both, and at the end, as we saw in this recent series, a lot of slower balls and cutters.'

'I think she got Jemimah (Rodrigues) out with one last night.'

'I know bowlers like (former England quick) Darren Gough, he was desperate to bowl at the death simply because you got a chance of getting wickets,' he continued.

While Hussain would not be surprised if Mooney or Bell was adjudged the Player of the Tournament, he selected another Australian as the most likely to stand out above all her peers.

'I mean, it could be one of those two (Mooney or Bell), but (I will choose) Annabel Sutherland,' Hussain suggested.

'I think she was quite brilliant when she was over here for The Hundred. She has been quite brilliant for Australia in general.'

'How much batting she does because of the batting ahead of her, who knows? But I think she could be, if you want, if you ask me which one cricketer is going to handle the pressure really well, I will go Annabel Sutherland,' he signed off. (ANI)