Advent of franchise leagues has grown the depth of women’s cricket, says Ellyse Perry

In 2012, Australia lifted the T20 World Cup title, beating England in the final at the R. Premadasa Stadium here. Under an auburn sky embellished with the odd cloud here and there and a healthy crowd watching along, the women in green and gold defended their world T20 crown.

13 years later, the memories are a bit hazy for a now-experienced Ellyse Perry, who incidentally has featured in every single World Cup across both white ball formats for the nation since making her debut in 2007.

“Whenever you come back to a place you’ve been before, there are certain recollections. Alyssa (Healy) and I [the two players left from that squad in this tournament] were just talking about it the other day. It’s also amazing to see how far things have come since then,” she told reporters ahead of Australia’s Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 league stage fixture against Pakistan on Wednesday.

She gushed about how far the game has come, particularly with the solidification of the franchise leagues around the world.

“There’s so much competition in the global landscape now. The advent of franchise leagues around the world has just grown the depth of women’s cricket. It’s a huge challenge for us. There are so many good teams, but I also think ultimately that’s why you want to play. The challenges that are available now are really exciting,” she added.

The nostalgia, though, will take a backseat as Australia looks to add to its points tally after its previous fixture against Sri Lanka at this very venue a few days ago was washed out without a ball being bowled. The side keenly watched the India vs Pakistan game that unfolded on this surface on Sunday, with the low and slow Premadasa strip testing both sides aplenty.

“We got to have a look at the conditions the other night with the India and Pakistan match. Probably hasn’t changed too much from how we were thinking the other day when we were hoping to play. But we’ve had a chance to prepare pretty well, three sessions to prepare for what we will face. It’s been a good opportunity for us.”

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The wicket here hasn’t shown capacity for big totals so far, something the Australian side has made its hallmark in the format.

“We’re quite fortunate to have some depth in the batting group. We’ve discussed how to use that depth in different situations. We will all go out with the same approach, and that’s to be really positive but also adapt to what the game is presenting, whether that’s conditions or the opposition. I think there’s a blueprint there that applies to anywhere that you play, and then you’ve just got to be adaptable on the day.”

The fixture will also see Perry face off against a long-term fan in Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana. In a video shared by Cricket Australia in 2023, the cherubic allrounder was seen nervously approaching Jess Jonassen to help get her introduced to her idol Perry.

“When I was 11, she was winning the World Cup for Australia,” she gushed shiftily then. The video then cuts to Fatima throwing every possible question at her role model. Perry heaped on the Pakistan quick.

“She’s an amazing player. A real talisman for the side. I really enjoy seeing how much passion and energy she plays with, and she is very clearly a great teammate as well. You can see how much she supports and celebrates all of her teammates. She’s incredibly talented, too. All around, her game is super strong. She’s awesome to have in the game. It’s always nice when we get a chance to play against her.”

Published on Oct 08, 2025

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