Ellyse Perry is focused on making a comeback in T20 cricket

Ellyse Perry is ready to prove she is still a valuable member of Australia’s greatest T20I team ahead of a busy short-form calendar.

Perry, who was once one of Australia’s top T20 players, has struggled with injury and form in recent years, and was left out of the Ashes opening in January.

The 31-year-old has been hampered by a lengthy rehabilitation from a previous significant hamstring injury, the problems of Covid-19 limitations, and, most recently, a back stress fracture.

T20I cricket is a big part of Australia’s upcoming schedule. In July, they will compete in a T20I tri-series in Derry against Ireland and Pakistan, ahead of their Commonwealth Games campaign.

Australia then tour India for five T20s in December, before three home T20I matches against Pakistan in January ahead of the short-form World Cup in South Africa in February.

“The depth coming through in the women’s side of the game is tremendous and that’s a wonderful thing for the whole squad, the whole group,” Perry told reporters.

“It presents challenges for everyone to make sure that they’re continuing to evolve as a player. That’s very much the case for me. But yeah, I’d love to still be a part of that. Certainly it’s working to make sure that I’m in that position.

“Looking at our schedule coming up, with another T20 World Cup next year in South Africa, you always want to be involved in the big tournaments so I think we’re all looking at that.”

Perry may well have to prove herself without one of her weapons: her bowling.

The allrounder is in the Australian team as a batter only at this stage, after the lower back injury that restricted her earlier this year at the World Cup was diagnosed as a stress fracture.

“It’s going well,” she said of her back. “It’s sort of just a progressive one where I’ll keep getting it scanned in the lead-up to playing again, but so far it’s been going really smoothly and touch wood that continues.

“That is the long-term goal…to get back to bowling and full fitness. It’s just a matter of when it happens over the summer, which is the biggest unknown right now.”

Overall, Perry believed that selection pressure was critical for an all-conquering Australian squad to maintain its vicious edge.

She explained, “We want to keep pushing the boat out and not get caught.” “Because it’s good to be successful, and I don’t think you want to go backwards after you’ve had a taste of it.”