Ellyse Perry is set to make her ninth consecutive appearance in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, starting on October 3, 2024. Holding the record for the most matches in the tournament’s history, the seasoned all-rounder remains a key player for Australia.
Perry emphasised how unpredictable the format can be, remarking, “Particularly the T20 World Cups, I don’t think they’re ever not open. It’s such a fickle format and the way that the games fall is really unpredictable a lot of the time.”
Australia has long been a dominant force in the Women’s T20 World Cups, having claimed six out of the eight trophies so far, including an incredible three-in-a-row streak from 2010 to 2014, and again from 2018 to 2023. Perry explained that their success comes from focusing inwardly on their own development as a group rather than worrying about their opponents.
“Most of it has really just been focused around what we can control as a group, where we can spend time and effort improving and the best things that as a collective, we can lean into to make sure that we’re in the best possible position,” she said.
With the departure of veterans Meg Lanning and Rachael Haynes, the Australian squad is in a phase of renewal. Yet, experienced campaigners like Perry, Alyssa Healy, Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, and Megan Schutt provide a strong backbone for the next generation of players.
Perry expects the tournament to be highly competitive, noting, “It’s going to be really tough and really competitive if international competition’s anything to go by. It’s a great challenge for everyone and I think as a group we’ve had a little bit of change over the last couple of years, so the chance to go out there and test the work that we’ve been doing is really cool.” She has seen firsthand how other nations have made significant progress in the past year, ensuring the road to the title will be challenging.
Australia’s reign in T20I cricket has not been without its moments of vulnerability. Their dominance was tested in 2023, when they lost the T20I leg of the Ashes series to England and suffered defeats at home against both West Indies and South Africa, while claiming the series. Nevertheless, they managed to clinch their most recent series against New Zealand 3-0 though batting collapses exposed some cracks in their armour.
Perry’s impact on the tournament over the years has been immense. Since making her debut in 2009, she has had numerous standout performances, including a match-winning 3 for 18 in the 2010 final against New Zealand, which earned her the Player of the Match award and helped Australia lift their first T20 title. Although sidelined by injury in 2020, she returned stronger in 2023, contributing with both bat and ball. With a total of 371 runs and 40 wickets in her 42 T20 World Cup appearances, Perry’s influence on Australia’s success is undeniable.
Her recent form across various franchise leagues has been remarkable as well. In the Hundred, she scored 203 runs at an average of 29.00 and took eight wickets, following a dominant run in the WPL where she accumulated 347 runs at 69.40. Perry was also among the top five run-scorers in the last edition of the WBBL, scoring 496 runs at an average of 45.09.
Reflecting on her time in the franchise circuit, Perry said, “I really, really enjoyed the opportunity more than anything. A chance to be a part of a different competition with some fresh faces that I hadn’t played with before was just really enjoyable. From that perspective I’m just incredibly grateful for the chance to be a part of it and certainly learned a lot along the way too.”
The 2024 T20 World Cup is set to be an exciting contest, with Australia once again entering as favourites. This year’s edition comes with the historic equalisation of prize money for men’s and women’s World Cups, a move lauded by Perry.
“It was probably hard to imagine,” she said, recognizing the rapid progress of the sport. “It just kept evolving at such an amazing pace and yeah, it’s probably a good thing that I couldn’t imagine that either because it doesn’t limit the possibility of what’s the potential for the next five or 10 years.
“To be a part of it has been amazing and also just really cool to see the amount of women that are getting opportunities to play cricket as a career and hopefully inspire a new generation of cricketers, not just young girls but young boys, is quite phenomenal really.”
This reflects her optimism for the future of women’s cricket, with plenty of room for continued growth and success in the years ahead.
Australia, drawn in Group A alongside India, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, will start their campaign on October 5th against Sri Lanka at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Under the leadership of Alyssa Healy, they aim to defend their title and extend their legacy as six-time champions on the global stage.
(Quotes sourced from ESPN)