‘It’s a great launching pad’: Ellyse Perry to use WBBL to help push for national recall

Mystery surrounds the playing future of Australian skipper Meg Lanning, but one key candidate is keen to distance herself from the role.

Ellyse Perry doesn’t want to replace Rachael Haynes in Australia’s leadership group. Picture: Hanna Lassen/Getty Images for Cricket Australia

Ellyse Perry has again distanced herself from the Australian captaincy as she prepares to use the upcoming WBBL as a springboard to push her case for an international T20 recall.

Mystery surrounds the playing future of current skipper Meg Lanning, while long-time deputy Rachael Haynes recently announced her retirement from international cricket.

Lanning is on personal leave after a hectic schedule that included guiding Australia to Commonwealth Games gold in Birmingham, and the star batter will not participate in the WBBL season that begins on Thursday.

Perry and Sixers teammate Alyssa Healy loom as logical options to replace Lanning as skipper for the next international series in India beginning later in the year, but the veteran batter wants to steer clear of the captaincy chat.

Meg Lanning is taking time away from cricket. Picture: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

“I’ve been pretty uncomfortable thinking about that given the circumstances of where our leadership group is at,” she said.

“I don’t want to use any opportunity to campaign for those positions. I think we’ve got some wonderful leaders within the group. I suppose it depends on the direction and the long-term or short-term nature of those roles.

“Everyone has been wishing Meg all the best and I’m very much supportive of her current position. When the team plays together again in December, I’m sure we’ll know more closely what that looks like from a leadership point of view.”

Perry’s biggest concern right now is getting back in the Australian T20 side, with Monday marking exactly one year since she last donned the gold jersey for a game against India on the Gold Coast.

The 31-year-old didn’t feature in the Commonwealth Games because of her lack of big-hitting ability, but 134 runs at a strike rate of nearly 137 in the recent Hundred competition in England shows a willingness to change her game.

Perry now has the perfect chance to showcase the new aggressive approach in the WBBL, with the Sixers set to open the new season against the Brisbane Heat on Thursday.

Ellyse Perry has been in great form for Victoria in the WNCL. Picture; Mark Brake/Getty Images

“Traditionally speaking, the WBBL is a great launching pad for all players,” said Perry, who made her international T20 debut in 2008.

“You always want to evolve.

“At different points in time, things are highlighted and probably speak more to you about where you want to take things and perhaps how you want to keep contributing to the team and to the game.

“Certainly, in the past couple of years, that’s been at the forefront of my mind.

“There are places we want to take the game, and that’s at an Australian level and also at the Sixers. Part of that is each individual expanding the way that they play.

“I’ve had lots of conversations over a couple of years with various coaches, and I’ve got a good snapshot of how I want to play and how the way the team wants to progress.”

Originally published as ‘It’s a great launching pad’: Ellyse Perry to use WBBL to help push for national recall