Ex-Coach Mott: Australia’s World Cup Loss Fuels Future Success

Former Australia women’s cricket head coach Matthew Mott is backing his former charges to bounce back swiftly from their Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 semi-final heartbreak. The team’s impressive unbeaten streak in the group stages was halted by a formidable India, who chased down a target of 338. This exit, coupled with their T20 World Cup semi-final loss last year, means Australia is without both T20 and ODI World Cup trophies simultaneously for the first time since 2017. Mott, who has previously overseen periods of immense success for the team, views this defeat as a catalyst for growth. “It’s certainly no cause for panic stations,” Mott stated, emphasizing the team’s inherent strength and abundance of match-winning players. He pointed to the standout performances of young stars like Phoebe Litchfield, who scored a century in the crucial semi-final and finished with 304 tournament runs, and Ash Gardner, who led the team with 328 runs. Mott drew parallels to the 2017 semi-final exit, suggesting that such challenging moments can unexpectedly drive a team to new levels of performance. He remains convinced that Australia is the premier team globally, and that this competitive shift will ultimately benefit the sport.