India Vs South Africa Women 2021 Series Preview—finally some progress in women’s cricket in India.
Earlier, we explored why Nobody Cares About Women’s Cricket. The Indian men have played a 60 day IPL, had a complete tour of Australia, and is now hosting England for a full series. On the other hand, Indian women have played half-a-week long T20 Challenge. That is it. No training either until recently. This will be India’s first assignment since the World T20 Final on March 8th, 2020.
Meanwhile South Africa women are coming on back of a 3-0 ODI & 2-1 T20I victory against Pakistan at home. Here is a preview of the 5 ODI & 3 T20I match tour between India and South Africa. Here is what you should expect, the big surprises in team selection, the squads, and our series prediction.
When and Where?
Here are the dates and the venue for the India Vs South Africa Women series.
Mithali Raj, the highest run scorer in Women’s ODI cricket, is just 85 runs shy of 10,000 international runs across formats (6888 ODI, 2364 T20I, 663 Tests). After 487 days away from national duty, she will back trying to take India to the ODI World Cup next year. At 38, this might be Raj’s final hurrah.
On the other end of the spectrum, watch out for the explosive 17-year-old Shafali Verma in the T20Is. She already has 19 international caps and strikes it at 146.24.
A lot will depend on the India’s experienced middle order. Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, and Sushma Verma (comeback) will need to make sure India bats 50 overs in case of a collapse.
South Africa: Enviable Top-Order With Lee, Wolfvaardt, and Luus
If the top order of Lizelle Lee, Laura Wolfvaardt, and Sune Luus play to their potential, this South African team will be very hard to beat. Luus also has the extra responsibility of the stand-in captain in the absence of injured Dan van Niekerk.
Lookout for Trisha Chetty. A veteran of 114 ODIs, the wicketkeeper-batsman is integral to the core of this South African side.
Tazmin Brits is the in-form T20I batsman for South Africa. With scores of 52* & 66, she was the Player of the T20I series against Pakistan.
The Bowling
India: Shikha Pandey’s Omission The Talking Point
In the build up to this series, the omission of India’s pace spearhead, Shikha Pandey, has taken the public by surprise. India’s most successful pace bowler of recent times and 2nd highest wicket taker in India’s last assignment (T20 World Cup) this is a huge call.
In Shikha’s absence, the pace responsibility will lie with the veteran Jhulan Goswami, Mansi Joshi, and Arundhati Reddy (T20I only)
I am most excited to watch India’s spin trio—Poonam Yadav, the T20 World Cup star,, Radha Yadav, and Rajeshwari Gayakwad. The youngster, Harleen Deol, impressed in the T20 Challenge with the Trailblazers and might get more opportunities to showcase her talent on the international stage.
South Africa: Ample Fast Bowling Resources, but Spin the Concern
The allrounder, Marizanne Kapp, is the glue that holds South Africa’s together. In the Player of the Match performance in the 2nd ODI against Pakistan, she scored an unbeaten 68 along with 3-44 as the opening pace bowler. Brilliant.
Shabnam Ismail is one of the best fast bowlers on women’s cricket circuit at the moment. South Africa’s highest wicket taker in both ODIs and T20Is, she will be key to South Africa’s success.
Without regular captain and off-spinner van Niekerk, South Africa’s spin bowling department is the concern.
Along with Mandhana, Raj, & Kaur, Veda Krishnamurthy caught the public’s eye in the 2017 ODI World Cup as India’s finisher. Yet, an ODI average of 25.9 & T20I average of 18.61 was not justifiable. Hopefully this is just a short term loss of form, and she we come roaring back soon.
Harmanpreet Kaur insisted that Pandey was ‘rested, not dropped‘ in order to experiment with the rest of the squad for upcoming tournaments. I do not buy this statement given a 18-member squad was picked regardless and that India has not played any international cricket for over a year.
South Africa: Masabata Klaas
South Africa are carrying a settled squad, with the exception of Klass. She suffered a last-minute injury in the Pakistan series and has not been picked for this series.
Prediction
Verdict: 3-2 South Africa (ODIs) & 2-1 India (T20Is)
South Africa’s top order and fast bowlers should give them the edge in the ODIs. Expect competitive games with scores around 225-250.
I am going with India 2-1 for the T20I series. The swashbuckling top order of Jemimah, Shafali, and Mandhana may be too much to handle for South Africa. India should look to bat first, put up a decent score, and let the spin trio handle the rest.
Let us know your thoughts on India Vs South Africa Women, and the eventual scorelines.
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My Starting XIs
These are my starting XIs (assuming everyone is available in terms of COVID and injuries).
Controversy of the Day: Nobody cares about women’s cricket.
Women’s Cricket— Can’t Live With It, Can Definitely Live Without It. At least that is the attitude of cricket administration and mediaaround the world.
Today news came in that the BCCI finally decided to organize women’s matches, simultaneously with the men’s Vijay Hazare Trophy & the Vinoo Mankad U-19 Trophy. After the 4 match Women’s T20 Challenge, there is something to look forward to for the Indian Women team.
Is it enough, though? How are all the other women international teams faring during this time? Why did we get here? Could more have been done over the last year?
So many questions…Don’t worry, I got you.
Post-COVID statistics between Women’s Vs Men’s cricket, looking ahead to 2021, facts about the women’s game we should all know as cricket fans, and the way forward for women’s cricket.
*Note: Underlined & Bolded links are videos. Underlined without bold are links to other articles.
March 8th, 2020—the peak for Women’s Cricket at the World T20 World Cup Final between Australia & India.
86, 174 spectators.
Following the monumental 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup, women’s cricket began moving in a positive direction. Casual cricket fans began to take notice, fan following increased for the likes of Ellyse Perry, Meg Lanning, & Smriti Mandhana, and representation in broadcasting expanded with Lisa Sthalekar, Isa Guha, & Ebony Rainford-Brent among others. Investment rose with the Women Big Bash League (WBBL), Kia Super League, & even the Women’s T20 Challenge. The highly anticipated experiment, The Hundred, was scheduled simultaneously with the men’s version for last summer.
The rise continued & on the auspicious International Women’s Day, the record number of spectators at the Women’s 2020 T20 World Cup confirmed Mithali Raj’s statement, “Truly I believe women’s cricket has come in the mainstream now.”
Momentum Halts For Women’s Cricket
March 8th, 2020—also the last time since India Women took field.
None. Zero. Nada.
It has been almost 11 months without any international cricket, domestic competition, or even a national training camp. Meanwhile, Indian men have played a 60-match IPL, & toured Australia from November-January for a 3-T20I, 3 ODI, and 4 classic Test matches. India women’s 3 match ODI tour of Australia scheduled in January? Cancelled due to coronavirus at the end of December. Explain that…
The momentum has truly been halted. Not only India, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh women have not had much cricket either (although training camp has started for Bangladesh). Even the inaugural edition of the Hundred was postponed.
The second edition of men’s Indian Premier League post-COVID is about to begin in a couple of months and a 10-team IPL is rumored in 2022. On the other hand, after the gigantic leap from 1 match in 2018 to 4 matches in 2019, the Women T20 Challenge did not expand in 2020. And guess what? Those who participated in the Challenge were robbed of the opportunity to play WBBL due to bio-bubble regulations.
The biggest casualty, though was the earlier scheduled 2021 ICC Women’s World Cup.
Starting next week, from February 6th-March 7th, New Zealand was supposed to host World Cup. YES, New Zealand, the country best placed to host an international event in these circumstances. Yet, in August the ICC postponed it due to ‘disparity in level of preparedness’ between the different countries.
Men’s Vs Women’s Cricket: Post-Covid Statistics
Thanks to the ECB and their bio-secured bubble protocols, cricket started back with the England-West Indies Test Series. Since then, both men’s & women’s cricket restarted, but here is a table that shows the disparity of the amount of games played.
Since July, the men have had a maximum possible 128 days of international cricket scheduled (5 days maximum per test) as opposed to just 16 days for the women (5 of which were Austria Vs Germany T20I). Across formats & countries, men have clocked in 540 matches, while women have played a mere 144 matches.
Men’s Cricket
Women’s Cricket
International Matches Played (June 2020-January 2021)
96 matches (24 T20Is, 12 ODIs, 15 Tests including WTC Final + 45 match 2021 T20 World Cup)
18 matches (9 ODIs, 9 T20Is)
Total Matches (Mar 2020-2021) *excluding T20/Domestic Leagues for 2021
636 matches
162 matches
Post-Covid Men’s & Women’s Cricket Summary
*Table does not include the 3 Eng-SA & the 2 Ire-UAE ODIs that were cancelled due to COVID.
Series Summary
Here are the details of the various series, leagues, & domestic tournaments played over the last year.
*Australia (Aus), New Zealand (NZ), India (Ind), England (Eng), Sri Lanka (SL), South Africa (SA), Pakistan (Pak), West Indies (WI), Bangladesh (Ban), Zimbabwe (Zim), Ireland (Ire), & Afghanistan (Afg).
International Matches Played (June 2020-January 2021)
Men’s
WI tour Eng (3 Tests), Pak tour Eng (3 Tests, 3 T20I), Ire tour Eng (3 ODIs), Aus tour Eng (3 T20Is, 3 ODIs)
Zim tour Pak (3 ODI, 3 T20I), Ire tour UAE (4 ODIs – 2 cancelled), Ire Vs Afg (3 ODI)
Eng tour SA (3 T20I, ODIs abandoned), SL tour SA (2 Tests), Eng tour SL (2 Tests)
WI tour NZ (3 T20I, 2 Tests), Pak tour NZ (3 T20I, 2 Tests)
Ind tour Aus (3 ODIs, 3 T20Is, 4 Tests)
*Excludes 16 games played by Guersney, Isle of Man, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Belgium, Bulgaria, Malta, Romania
Women’s
Austria tour Germany (5 T20I)
WI tour England (5 T20I)
NZ tour Aus (3 ODI, 3 T20I)
T10 & T20 Leagues Played Around the World
Men: Caribbean Premier League (33 matches), Indian Premier League (60), Sri Lanka Premier League (23), Big Bash League (61), T10 League (29)
Women: WBBL (59 matches), IPL Exhibition games (4)
Domestic Cricket
Men: Bob Willis Trophy (Eng – 46 matches), 2020 T20 Vitality Blast (Eng – 97), 32 Super Smash (NZ – 32), Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy (India – 103)
Well if you thought 2020 was bad, 2021’s schedule does not seem like a drastic improvement either. Sure, just like the Vijay Hazare & Vinoo Mankad, more matches may be scheduled later, but the number of planned games in 2021 tells you the story.
Women’s Cricket 2021 Schedule
According to the ICC Fixtures for the next year, Women’s cricket looks as follows:
Pak tour SA (3 ODI, 3 T20I): Jan 20-Feb 3 (Ongoing)
Eng tour NZ (3 ODI, 3 T20I): Feb 23-Mar 5
Aus tour NZ (3 ODI, 3 T20I): Mar 27-Apr 10
After this, the next scheduled international fixture is the postponed 2022 Women’s World Cup that begins on March 4th, 2022. Domestically, apart from women’s edition of Vijay Hazare & Vinoo Mankad U-19, Australia National Cricket League (28 matches) has been announced, with The Hundred, Women Big Bash League, & Women’s T20 Challenge possibly returning for 2021.
Men’s Cricket Schedule 2021
While international women’s cricket as a whole has only been scheduled 18 limited overs matches in 2021, the Men’s England Test team alone are slotted 17 Test Matches (18 if they reach the WTC final), apart from the T20 World Cup & other bilateral series.
Currently, WI tour of Ban (3 ODI, 2 Tests) & SA tour of Pak (2 Tests, 3 T20Is) are ongoing, with the England tour of India (4 Tests, 5 T20I, 3 ODI), IPL 2021 (60 matches), & The Hundred on the horizon.
51 matches planned in 2021 (24 T20Is, 12 ODIs, 15 Tests including WTC Final)
45 match ICC Men’s T20I World Cup October-November (in India)
Did You Know?
Who was the first cricketer to score a double century in ODI? Umm..Sachin Tendulkar 200* Vs South Africa in 2010, right? Wrong. It was actually Belinda Clark’s 229* in the 1997 Women’s Cricket World Cup.
The real question is, do we ourselves pay enough attention to Women’s Cricket or just hypocritically vouch for the women’s game?
We all know about Tendulkar’s 100 100s, Bradman’s 99.94, Muralitharan’s 800, Sharma’s 264. For our collective cultural enhancement, here is a short list of statistics and facts we should all know about Women’s Cricket.
Numbers & Facts in Women’s Cricket We Should All Know
*Note, this stats are divided by format: Test | ODI | T20I .
Batting
Most Runs: 1935 – Jan Brittin (Eng) | 6,888 – Mithali Raj (Ind) | 3301 – Suzie Bates (NZ)
Most Dismissals (Keeper):58 – Christina Matthews (Aus) | 160 – Trisha Chetty (SA) | 93 – Alyssa Healy (Aus)
Teams
Highest Team Total:569/6 declared Aus (vs Eng) | 491/5 NZ (Vs Ire) | 314/2 Uganda (Vs Mali)
World Cups: ODIs – Aus (6 times), Eng (4), NZ (1) | T20Is – Aus (5 times), Eng (1), WI (1)
A Way Forward
Australia, England, & New Zealand are historically the most successful women cricket teams and rightly so. They have invested in women’s cricket for decades & are broadening the recruitment of young girls in cricket. Other countries lag behind in the recruitment, infrastructure, & investment.
In the COVID era, the template provided by NZ’s Super Smash, India’s Vijay Hazare, & England’s Hundred should become common. The corresponding matches for the same teams should be played on the same day for both the men & women respectively. This may help out with spectators & TV revenues as well.
This is definitely possible for domestic competitions & T20 leagues, but should even be considered for international tours as well, at least for the limited overs leg.
These are just some limited thoughts, but there are limitless ideas to promote women’s cricket if enough focus is given to this part of the sport.
Supply & Demand
More needs to be done for Women’s Cricket in current times. If this break continues longer, experienced players will start to retire, budding youngsters might not receive opportunity (and hence, may leave the sport altogether), and the compounding loss of revenue will hurt women’s cricket for generations to come.
If the ICC and national boards do not ramp up support in 2021, as Anjum Chopra called it, Women’s Cricket will remain just as an ‘add on’ feature, and nothing more. Who knows, instead of waiting for their next opportunity, the likes of Mithali Raj & Jhulan Goswami should just retire now, join administration, take matters in their own hands, fix women’s cricket administration, un-retire and play.
Women Cricket’s current status can be summarized with the saying, “If you are not at table, you are on the menu.”
Hope Remains
Although the coronavirus break as halted the momentum, hope remains. With the T20 international status open to several countries now, smaller nations like Thailand & Nepal have taken large strides. With role models like Ellyse Perry & Sophie Devine (see below), more girls have taken up the sport seriously.
Finally, us fans can themselves can help in the resurgence of momentum. The entire game is about supply & demand. Men’s cricket & the IPL generates a lot of revenue. Hence, T20 cricket remains essential at possibly the expense of Test cricket. Similarly, women’s cricket is less profitable and hence, gets less support. So, we should demand more women’s cricket and encourage girls to take the sport up.
Fans need to get involved. Bloggers (including me) should write more on women’s cricket. You should tweet more on women’s cricket. Watch lots of videos, look up more stats, & make women’s cricket viral. Get the media involved. Slowly & steadily, women’s cricket administration will take notice & invest more.
Anyway, I will leave you all with a classy Sophie Devine, who recently scored the fastest T20 century in women’s cricket (36 balls), but her sportsmanship & humanity was the highlight.
Sophie Devine is all class 👏🥰
She appeared to strike a young fan in the crowd, as she brought up her record-breaking #SuperSmashNZ century with a maximum 🤕
Shortly afterwards, Devine went to see her, and gave her a few moments she'd NEVER forget 😁 pic.twitter.com/1qKzBHdv4m
Today’s Scenario: Mithali Raj Lifts the 2017 Cricket World Cup
In our segment Just Imagine, we explore how a specific moment in cricket could have lasting ripple effects. Going back in time, we ask a simple question: What Would Happened if…? and reflect on its consequences.
Since the Women T20 Challenge is in full flow among the teams—Trailblazers, Velocity, and the Supernovas, we imagine what would have happened if India had not collapsed against England in the 2017 Cricket World Cup Final?
Match:
England vs India, July 23rd 2017, Final, Lord’s, London, ICC Women’s World Cup
Background:
The 2017 Cricket World Cup was a watershed moment in several ways for women’s cricket. It was widely broadcasted and viewed, the matches were highly competitive, several remarkable individual performances were on show, and to cap it off—an intense final.
The hosts were favorite to win the trophy, while India captured the imagination of the world during the tournament.
In the group stages, India had won 5/7 games while brushing Australia aside in the semi-finals thanks to Harmanpreet Kaur’s magnificent 171*—maybe the best world cup innings by an Indian in a semi-final, certainly in the last decade. On the other hand, England squeaked past the Proteas with 2 balls to spare. Their only defeat in the tournament coming at the hand of India via Smriti Mandana’s elegant 90.
The final was a classic low-scoring thriller. Ebbs and flows throughout.
England scored 228/7. In response, Mandana and Raj fell cheaply before Punam Raut and Kaur stabilized and registered 50s.
Chasing 229, India are sitting comfortably at 191-3.
38 needed off 44 balls. Punam Raut 86* (114), Veda Krishnamurthy 28* (28). Then, next ball, there is an appeal for LBW…
What Actually Happened:
42. 5 Shrubsole to Raut OUT:
Punam has asked for a review but the umpire says sorry, you took too long.Do England have wink of an opportunity? This was the wrong shot. Length ball sliding in from wide of the crease, Punam plays all around the delivery. Looked to work it square when he could’ve played in down the ground. Hit on the knee roll. That would’ve gone on to hit the stumps. Has she done enough though?
If Punam Raut had straight batted the shot, or if the DRS review was called in time, and the decision (magically) overturned, what would have happened?
The Consequence:
Punam Raut hits an unbeaten century in the final. Veda seals the deal with an exquisite six.
Jhulam Goswami, the star with 3 wickets on the final, and captain Mithali Raj retire as World Cup winners. The 2017 squad return as legends. Their stories now etched in stone along with the 1983 and 2011.
The BCCI want to capitalize as usual.
They have a template—2007 T20 World Cup and the 2008 IPL. Upon the Indian men’s victory, the experiment of IPL turned into an unprecedented success, changing the global cricket game forever.
They have an opportunity again.
The Women’s IPL launches in 2018. All the world cup heroes are in their prime. Raj captains the Chennai Super Kings, Harmanpreet the marquee player for Kings XI Punjab, and Mandhana starring for the Mumbai Indians. With foreign players such as Heather Knight, Nat Sciver, and the world’s greatest Ellyse Perry, the WIPL is a financial and global success.
This T20 experience gained helps Indian women win the 2020 T20 World Cup defeating Australia in their background in front of a 86,174 crowd at the MCG.
Reflection – Inaction Trumps Imagination
Well, things did not turn out that way, did it?
Winning and losing is part and parcel of the game. Yes, one moment can change histories, but sometimes if action is taken in the right time, it could pay dividends as well.
India’s performance had already delighted audiences around the world and Goswami-Mithali-Harmanpreet-Mandana were household names.
Why then, has the WIPL not been put into action?
It did not need to be an 8 team tournament. A 5-6 team tournament would be wonderful as well. In 3 years, teams would have stabilized, rivalries and fanbase would have fostered, and ultimately, women’s cricket would have benefitted.
Instead, we are watching the 3rd T20 Women’s challenge as an afterthought of a 56 match exhausting Men’s IPL, just taking a break before the Playoffs. Meanwhile, most of the foreign players like Heather Knight, Alyssa Healy, and Ellyse Perry are employing their trade at the WBBL, and we are just waiting for the Hundredfor a competitive world T20 women’s league.
With the likes of Shefali Verma, Deepti Sharma, and Jemimah Rodrigues, India’s future is still bright, but by the time WIPL commences, India women’s stars would have already retired.
Jemimah Rodrigues times a cover drive to perfection
Inspired By Conversations with Vandit and ESPNCricinfo’s Alternative Universe Series.
Test match portrait (far left), Ellyse Perry bowling (center-left), playing soccer for Canberra United (center-right), and philanthropy work (far-right)
Ellyse Perry is an Australian cricketer and footballer, who also has a passion for writing and philanthropy on the side. Already being called one of the greatest all-rounders and players of all-time, Perry is just 29.
Her contribution to women’s cricket has already been immense.
The Memorable Debut
Ellyse Perry became the youngest Australian to play cricket at the age of 16 when she debuted against New Zealand, picking up 2-37 as well as 19 runs, batting at #9.
Only 15 days later, she would debut in her first international football match against Hong Kong, scoring a goal in the 2nd minute of the match.
2nd minute. Her primary playing position is supposed to be defender…Digest that for a minute.
It was her Player of the Match performance in the T20 debut a few months later, though, that caught the cricketing world’s attention. Quickfire 29* (25), including a huge six at the MCG, a 4-wicket haul, and even a run-out on follow through.
When the commentator asked, “Is there anything you tried that did not come off?—you had sixes, runs, wickets, back-flick runouts,” she responded by saying, “There were a couple of wides in there, so definitely some room for improvement there.”
The T20 debut was only a sign of things to come. Although she started as a fast-bowler who was a handy lower-order batter, her batting has risen through the years, most notably with the 213* in the 2017 Ashes.
Here is just a glimpse of her brilliant career so far:
Batting
Tests: 8 Matches, 624 runs, best of 213*, 78.00average, 100s-2/ 50s-2
ODIs: 112 Matches, 3022 runs, best of 112*, 52.00 average, 100s-2/ 50s-27
T20Is: 120 Matches, 1218 runs, best of 60*, average 28.32, 50s-4
Bowling
Tests: 8 Matches, 31 wickets, 18.19 average, Best Innings – 6/32,Best Match – 9/70
A World Cup is the greatest stage to perform in. It is the dream stage for any sportsperson. The Final of a World Cup is an even better platform. That is exactly where Ellyse Perry would shine.
2010 Women’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies, New Zealand versus Australia in the final. Australia were restricted to a meager 106/8. At the highest pressure, her bowling figures were 3-0-8-3. She was given the responsibility of defending the final over. 7 needed off 2, and she kept her nerve to seal Australia their maiden T20 World Cup in a thrilling encounter.
Another day, another Player of the Match performance by Ellyse Perry.
Achievements
The Moment of Glory – Part II, III, IV, V, and VI
Being part of one World Cup team is a memorable accomplishment. Playing an integral role in six World Cup winning campaigns is just superhuman.
Ellyse Perry has accomplished so much already that we had to create a separate section devoted just for her remarkable achievements. From representing Australia in international cricket to the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash, she has played a starring role everywhere.
Youngest Australian to play cricket – at the age of 16 (2008)
Only Australian to play both the FIFA and ICC World Cups
Only Australian to play over 100 T20I matches
Player of the Match in the Final – (2010 Women’s World T20)
2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020 – T20 World Cup winner, 2013 – ODI World Cup winner
Player of the Series – The Ashes (2014, 2015)
ICC Women Cricketer of the Year (2017)
3rd Bowler to 150 wickets in WODIs
Belinda Clark Award, Australia’s highest award for women cricketers (2016, 2018)
Player of the Tournament – Women’s Big Bash League (2018-19)
The Legacy
Speaking of Big Bash, against the Melbourne Renegades, she opened the batting, steadied a collapse and carried the bat with an unbeaten fifty, opened the bowling, impacted run-outs, took a catch, and sealed the match with a six in a Super Over.
Once again, what can Ellyse Perry not do?
She is a captain’s dream to have in the team. She is Australia’s opening bowler, death bowler, a fielder that can turn matches around, a batter who can at steadily and safeguard from collapse, or a finisher who can hit quick runs at the back-end of the innings.
Still in the prime of her career, Ellyse Perry has several years of cricket left in her. She has the potential to break records in all departments, but she has already created a legacy for herself. A renowned athlete and a star, she has also made a name for herself as a media personality by appearing on numerous radio shows, interviews, and book launches.
Four out of her five books are children’s books, Rocket Pocket, Magic Feet, Winning The Touch, and Double Time,in addition to her autobiography, Perspective. The children’s series is one of the ways she has been inspiring the next generation of young girls to take up sport and climb new heights.
In an interview with Jaymie Hooper at Body+Soul, she said,”I know how much sport has given me and I think if kids can turn on the TV and see other girls playing cricket and decide they want to do it, too, then I’ve served my purpose.”
What Can We Learn From Ellyse Perry?
She had to give up professional soccer in 2015, having last playing internationally in 2013. She ended up with 3 goals, including that World Cup goal against Sweden. Yet, just by pursuing two different sports and excelling at both of them consistently for half a decade itself sets a new benchmark for Australian sport and athletes around the world.
“There is actually she cannot do….She is probably one of the hardest workers I have ever seen” – Nicola Carey
“What makes her so good is she can bowl 10 overs, then go out and make a 100…[It takes] stamina, concentration, work ethic to be able to do that” – Nicole Bolton
“She is continuing to get better….Adding something new to her game….Always improving” – Meg Lanning
Ellyse Perry’s journey shows that by working hard, continuing improving different skill sets, always having a team first attitude, and by dreaming big—nothing is impossible.
What Does the Future Hold?
Ellyse Perry’s biggest influence might well be on the next generation of female athletes.
Following the 2017 Women’s ODI World Cup, the popularity of the women’s game grew exponentially. The movement to grow women’s cricket culminated with the 2020 T20 World Cup Final in Australia, which was held during the International Women’s Day- March 8, 2020.
A record 86,174 people attended it. Watch this video to relive the importance of the day. The only bittersweet part of it – Ellyse Perry was injured a few games ago and could not make the final team. Nevertheless, she has been a major part in popularizing the game and has taken women’s cricket to new heights.
That was the last game of women’s cricket before the pandemic hit.
Fingers crossed that the game can recover from COVID-19. We can just hope that the Australia-New Zealand series, due to begin September 26, will go smoothly with players safety in place, cricket can resume back in Australia, and we can watch what Ellyse Perry achieves next.
