Perry pitches plan for future of women’s game

ELLYSE Perry has revealed her vision for the future of Australian women’s cricket and she’s dared the country’s administrators to dream big.

Perry spelled out her wish for the Women’s Big Bash League to be its own drawcard and the 2020 Twenty20 World Cup to be played in the coun- try’s biggest stadiums. The Australian all-rounder was on Thursday named the ICC women’s player of the year and paid homage to the quantum leaps Australia’s women’s cricket, and female sport in general, has made during the past several years.

She said she wanted the women’s game to move to the point it could stand shoulderto-shoulder with the men’s and play on the biggest stages.

She said she hoped the final of the World T20, which will be held in Australia in February-March 2020, is played in one of the country’s big stadiums such as the MCG or SCG.

“Cricket Australia are really keen on the final being in one of the major stadiums in the country and filling that out,” Perry said.

“The WBBL is a really great vehicle for building that and growing the interest in T20 in Australia. I think that’s the ultimate goal — filling out big stadiums.” While the WBBL has experienced exponential growth in interest and crowds, she said she wanted it to be a main attraction in its own right. Many of the WBBL games this year are being played as curtain-raisers to the men’s game.

She said she saw a time when the WBBL was played as stand-alone matches and able to draw its own big crowds.

“I think there are some really clear ideas and Cricket Australia have some goals, aspirations for what they want to do with the tournament,” Perry said.