The Australia captain claimed her team are ready to compete under the expectation of a home crowd at the International Cricket Council (ICC) event.

Australia are the defending Women’s T20 World Cup champions, having triumphed two years ago in the West Indies.

Their pursuit of a fifth title in seven editions of the tournament will begin at the Sydney Showground Stadium with a tie against India.

“We’re looking forward to getting started, it’s great that we get to reach out to all our fans across the country and they’ll get the chance to see what will be an amazing tournament,” Lanning said at a media day at Taronga Zoo in Sydney.

“We want to enjoy the experience of playing in front of friends and family.

“It’s a once-in-a-career opportunity to play in a home World Cup, there is pressure and expectation in that but every team wants to win, as we do.”

Australia will face India, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Group A of the tournament.

England headline Group B, with the 2018 runners-up set to face South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan and Thailand.

The two top teams at the end of the group stage will advance to the semi-finals, which will take place at the Sydney Cricket Ground on March 5.

The final will be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 8, with the match coinciding with International Women’s Day.

Organisers are forecasting a potential world record attendance for at women’s sporting fixture at the 100,024-capacity venue.

The current record attendance at a women’s sporting fixture is 90,185.

This was set at the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup final in the United States, where the host nation beat China.