Australian legend Ellyse Perry was recently talking about the widespread interest that has trailed behind England’s campaign in the Women’s Ashes. Australia’s comprehensive 16-0 win against England sparked widespread criticism of the English side, but Perry takes this added interest as an encouraging development in the sport.
In an interview with BBC Sport, she expressed her belief that the heightened scrutiny shows just how much people care about women’s cricket. “It demonstrates that there are expectations for elite female teams and a passion for the game,” Perry noted. Reflecting on how far the women’s game has come in the last decade, she emphasized that being held accountable, while sometimes uncomfortable, is a step forward. It indicates that the sport is taken seriously now more than ever.
Perry admitted that more exposure and higher earnings for women’s cricketers are accompanied by the pressure to perform. She said that such pressure was difficult sometimes, but precisely what the women’s game was missing these days. “All we have ever wanted was to be taken seriously and respected the way we play,” she said.
Australia’s sweep of the multi-format series was accomplished with wins across the ODI and T20I formats, and an astonishing win in the solitary Day-Night Test. In spite of the scathing criticism of the English outfit, Perry defended her opponents, calling the results “a bit of an anomaly.” “It’s very easy to get caught up in the score and lose the bigger picture,” she added. “There are some brilliant talents in the English side—world-class players who are only going to turn things around at some point. As much of an event as it was to us in our home summer, however, we don’t need to get caught up in it. Cricket’s landscape shifts quickly, and the next time we come together, potentially in the World Cup, presents new challenges.”
In her words, Perry did more than celebrate an ever-changing women’s cricketing horizon but fostered an air of respect and cohesion among players, who highlighted the unpredictability of the sport and what was to come.
