354. Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka & West Indies: T20 World Cup 2026 Campaign Review

The ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 has delivered another fascinating chapter in women's cricket, and in Episode 354 Never on the Backfoot, we shift our focus to four teams that each had vastly different journeys—Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies.Janani of Sportsy Mathsy Tales joins in yet again as we assess South Africa's impressive run to yet another ICC semi-final, the impact of Laura Wolvaardt's captaincy, and whether the Proteas are edging closer to breaking their World Cup hoodoo. We also discuss West Indies' return to the knockout stages under Hayley Matthews, the players who stepped up alongside their captain, and what ultimately separated them from the eventual finalists.The conversation also turns to Pakistan's campaign under Fatima Sana, where we analyse the positives, the batting concerns, standout performers and whether this tournament showed genuine signs of progress. Meanwhile, we unpack Sri Lanka's inconsistent campaign, Chamari Athapaththu's leadership, the team's over-reliance on experienced stars, and the lessons they must take forward.From captaincy calls and tactical decisions to standout performances, memorable matches, batting and bowling reviews, and the biggest learnings from each campaign, this episode offers a comprehensive look at where these four teams stand as they begin building towards the next ICC event.