Ellyse Perry, a top cricketer for Australia, could have easily joined Sam Kerr and the other Matildas on the pitch for the Women’s World Cup.
Perry, an equally talented football player, made her international debut for Australia in 2007 against Hong Kong at the age of 16.
During the 2011 World Cup in Germany, the talented cricket all-arounder had her debut appearance, scoring the Matildas’ lone goal in the team’s 3-1 quarterfinal loss to Sweden.
Between 2007 and 2012, the 32-year-old received 18 caps for Australia and scored three goals.
Perry, who played defence mostly, had a dazzling domestic football career. She played for Central Coast Mariners, Canberra United, and Sydney FC alongside teammates Kerr and Caitlin Foord.
She participated in the 2013 International Women’s Club Championship with Sydney FC, where they lost to Chelsea 3-2 but defeated Japanese WE League club NTV Beleza 1-0.
But when their respective athletic paths converged, she gave up her path in football for the bat-and-ball game, and starting in 2014, her cricketing career exploded into superstardom.
Perry went on to win 11 Women’s National Cricket League championships with NSW, two Women’s Big Bash League championships with the Sydney Sixers, and eight global championships with Australia.
Now that her old Matildas teammates are dominating the football globe and the Australian sporting audience, she is thrilled to witness it.
Perry said on Thursday, “I don’t think we’ve actually seen anything like this. “The calibre of play, the manner in which they play, and the incredible entertainment they provide.
“It’s just been a phenomenal tournament to see what those girls have done for not only their team but for this sport and for women’s sport,” the commentator said.
Before the Matildas’ World Cup fever engulfed the nation, Perry did not want the public to overlook the accomplishments of female athletes.
There are many examples of this, she said. “The Women’s Big Bash League has consistently ranked as the fourth most viewed sporting event in the nation. It feels like yesterday, but in 2020, we had 86,000 spectators at the MCG.
For a very long time, women’s sport has seen a pretty steady evolution.[General society] is changing in accordance with a genuine push for equality, but it’s also changing in accordance with how much we value the great skill and effort of all of our female athletes and what they can accomplish.
Perry is hoping that the excitement around the World Cup will aid in the expansion of domestic competitions.
We have a fantastic platform to increase our achievements and leave a bigger impression on Australia’s athletic landscape, she said. “The item is present. Now all that has to be done is provide a venue where fans can attend and have a great time.
Making sure we can fill those stadiums is the next challenge for us.
Perry hopes to be fit for the start of the domestic season in late September after suffering a knee injury last month in Ireland that forced her to withdraw from the Hundred.
