Ellyse Perry credits simple message from mum for inspiring career

From wunderkind to elder statesman in an 11-year international cricket career, Ellyse Perry - and the Australian public - have mum Kathy to thank for maintaining one of the country’s great sporting careers.

• Aussies won’t dwell on history of Cup flops
• Alyssa Healy set to pass concussion test

A pre-swimming carnival pep talk taught star Australian allrounder Ellyse Perry about perspective.

From wunderkind to elder statesman in an 11-year international cricket career, Perry has evolved as a player and a person.

But the 28-year-old has never deviated from the message her mum Kathy taught her as a school kid.

“I’m sure I’ve changed in that time in certain aspects but I’d like to think essentially I’m a similar person at heart, just older and wiser,” Perry told News Corp Australia.

Ellyse Perry dancers with school children in Guyana.

“My mum said this to me years ago when we were in the car going to a swimming carnival for school and I was so nervous - like crazy nervous, too nervous, a little bit beside myself and in a bit of a state - and she was just like ‘You know what, no-one is going to remember tomorrow what you came in any race, it’s really just about you going out there and giving it your best shot and enjoying it for what it is - whatever happens, happens.

“It’s a little bit higher-stakes now, but I still feel like it’s not a bad thing to think about.”

Perry is enjoying every moment of the World T20 in the West Indies, but she desperately wants to bring the trophy home to Australia.

Ellyse Perry has showed how versatile she is at the WT20.

First the Australians must beat the West Indies in their semi-final on Friday morning.

“We really want to play well, obviously, because it’s a World Cup,” Perry said.

“I think it would be affirmation in a lot of ways of what we’re trying to do and a real sign that we’re on the right track.

“Looking further ahead to the T20 World Cup in 2020 in Australia, which is on the horizon, I just think being successful in this is a really great platform for us.”

Now a married young woman, her husband Matt Toomua is in London with the Wallabies who play England at Twickenham on Sunday (AEDT) - the same day as the World T20 final.

Perry loves cricket as much as she did when she debuted for her country as a 16-year-old.

There were no contracts for female players then - now Australia’s female cricketers are the best paid in the world.

Ellyse Perry poses with fans at North Sydney Oval. Picture: Chris Pavlich

Ellyse Perry showing off her incredible action. Picture: AAP

“It’s been a really fun 11 years, included in that is the evolution of the sport, that’s been one of the most amazing and satisfying things to be a part of,” said Perry, the dual sport star who also has a soccer World Cup (2011) on her resume.

Perry used to be the person who opened the batting and the bowling, the classic best player in the team.

She’s morphed into a new classic in modern sports – the role player. And a very good one.

Perry can be thrown anywhere and will do anything for her team.

Against India in the team’s only loss in the Guyana pool games she came in at No.6 and made an unbeaten 39 off 28 balls. Earlier, she bowled her first ball in the eighth over and took 3-16.

Ellyse Perry is married to Wallabies star Matt Toomua.

“I think it says that we’ve got an incredibly talented group of players, all who are pushing each other to be better,” she said.

“There’s sort of no ego riding on that. You go around to any individual in this team and their No.1 goal is for the team to have success and not them and I think that makes a massive difference, particularly in competitions like this with there’s a lot of pressure and expectation and you only get one chance.”

Perry loves her family and she and Toomua want to start one of their own some day.

But that doesn’t mean her sporting career would necessarily end.

“I feel very, very fortunate to have him in my life,” she said.

“We’re both really lucky to be doing what we’re doing at the moment.

Perry in action for the Matildas.

“ … Family is something that’s really important to us and we’d love to start at some point, it’s just figuring out when that works for us.

“I’ve never thought about this before, but there’s a lot of opportunities to come back and play for female athletes post starting a family, too.

“Whether or not that’s something I want to do, I don’t really know. I guess I’ll figure all that out when the time’s right.”

Every Test, ODI, T20I, and BBL match live. Get 1 month free Sport HD plus Entertainment with no lock-in contract and no iQ4 box fee. T&C apply. SIGN UP NOW!