Despite a disappointing semi-final exit from the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, former Australia head coach Matthew Mott believes the team is poised for a powerful resurgence. Australia’s unbeaten run in the group stages was halted by eventual champions India in a high-scoring semi-final match. This marks the first time since 2009 that Australia has missed consecutive ICC event finals, following their T20 World Cup semi-final loss in 2024.
Mott, who guided the team from 2018 to 2023, emphasized that the current squad’s strength and balance should not be underestimated. “It’s certainly no cause for panic stations,” Mott stated, highlighting the abundance of match-winners within the team. He pointed to emerging talents like Phoebe Litchfield, who impressed with a century in the semi-final and finished as the second-highest scorer for Australia.
Mott drew parallels to the team’s experience after the 2017 World Cup semi-final loss, suggesting that such setbacks can serve as potent motivators. “It’s going to hurt, but as we found in 2017 sometimes those things happen for a reason and can motivate you and kick you to even higher levels,” he explained. He remains confident in Australia’s position as the world’s best team, even with the recent results. Mott also acknowledged India’s strong performance in the World Cup, recognizing that sometimes the best team doesn’t win, but believes this will only fuel Australia’s drive for future success.