PERRY INJURY FEAR QUASHED
THERE is no chance of Australia’s No.1 allrounder Ellyse Perry being rested against Bangladesh today in Canberra, according to captain Meg Lanning.
Speculation has swirled around the World Cup fitness of Perry after she was dropped down the batting line up to No.7 for Australia’s five-wicket win over Sri Lanka on Monday.
She then arrived at Perth airport the following day with strapping on her right shoulder.
Perry sustained a low-grade
AC joint injury in November last year when attempting a boundary catch for the Sydney Sixers in the WBBL.
She took no further part in the Big Bash after the Sixers failed to make the finals, but returned for the series against India and England this month.
Lanning said her superstar right-hander was a professional who knew how to manage niggles well.
“It’s something she has been managing since the WBBL,” Lanning said.
“But she’s trained every time we’ve been out there training and she’s played every game, so it’s nothing that’s going to keep her out of any games or anything like that.
“She’ll train fully (yesterday). I’m sure there are a few players out in this competition who are managing injuries and she’s a professional and deals with it really well.
“We’re not expecting anything major out of that.”
When asked whether there was a chance Perry would be rested, Lanning simply replied: “No, nup.”
Lanning also addressed the changing batting order, which has left some Aussie fans scratching their heads, especially when Nicola Carey was sent in above Perry in Monday’s match against Sri Lanka.
“Our top six batters could all open the batting, so it really comes down to the match-ups on the day and game situations and what we think’s going to work best,” she said.
“So we’ve gone with lefthand/right-hand combinations a little bit and that’s what we did the other night with Nic Carey coming in when Rach Haynes got out.
“Ellyse is a world-class player … we’ve just got to be really flexible and whatever the team needs, we’re going to do.”
After recording its first win of the tournament on Monday, Lanning said it was good kickstart for the rest of Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign.