‘Certainly interested’: Aussie cricket stars open to Ash Barty comeback

Ash Barty has the talent to return to professional sport and some Aussie stars say they would welcome her back with open arms.

If Ash Barty ever decides to try her hand at cricket again, she will be welcomed back into the fold with open arms by Australia’s World Cup-winning women.

The 25-year-old shocked the sporting world when she announced her retirement from professional tennis last month at the very top of her game.

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Barty was the longstanding World No. 1 and claimed her third grand slam title at the Australian Open in January, but said she had achieved all her goals in tennis and the time was right to chase her other dreams.

While Barty has remained tight-lipped on her next move, there has been plenty of speculation she could make a return to professional sport, most likely in golf or cricket.

She did little to quell those rumours with her first sporting victory since retiring from tennis — a win in the ladies competition at her local golf club in Brisbane last weekend.

What’s next for Ash Barty? Picture: NCA NewsWire/Dan Peled

Barty is clearly a talented golfer but she could just as easily try her hand at cricket again.

Six years ago, the Queenslander took an indefinite break from tennis and signed with the Brisbane Heat for the inaugural season of cricket’s Women’s Big Bash League.

Barty picked up the sport quickly, cracking an unbeaten 63 from 60 balls in her second match for Brisbane’s Western Suburbs District Cricket Club before topscoring in the final.

Fresh off winning the World Cup final against England, some of Australia’s biggest cricket stars say Barty has their full support if she wants to give cricket another go.

“If she wants to come and have another crack at cricket (we) would certainly be interested in talking to her,” Australian captain Meg Lanning told AAP.

Ash Barty played for the Brisbane Heat in the WBBL. Picture: Colleen Petch.

“She was pretty good at (it) last time she played. She seems very talented at most things she does. Let’s see what happens.”

Ellyse Perry praised Barty for chasing her dreams and marching to the beat of her own drum.

“There’s a general expectation you’ll play for an extended period of time and go for as long as you possibly can. That’s the norm,” Perry said.

“She genuinely tends to buck the norm a little bit and do what’s best for her, which is just really cool.

“It sounds like golf is in with a better chance (than cricket).

“It’d be really nice for her to be able to do what she wants to do.

“There’s speculation around what sport she’s going to play next or what she’s going to do.

“Hopefully, she just gets to find that out for herself and do exactly what she’s got planned.”

Originally published as ‘Certainly interested’: Aussie cricket stars open to Ash Barty comeback