Southern Star Ellyse Perry has said she is not prepared to choose between cricket and football, despite being handed an ultimatum by her W League soccer club, Canberra United.
''It's still a long time until the W-League season begins [in November] so I'll weigh it up between now and then. I still want to play both and hopefully I can play for a club that allows me to do that, '' she said.
Perry has successfully split her time between the two sports since she was 16 years old and is the only woman to have represented Australia at World Cups for two different sports.
Yesterday, Canberra United chief executive Heather Reid said things have changed and Perry needs to fully commit to the club or go elsewhere.
"We have basically given Ellyse an ultimatum," Reid told ABC Radio. "Ellyse needs to choose whether she wants to be a full-time Canberra United player and commit to training every day like everyone else does, or if she still wants to try and mix her cricket commitments with football. Then perhaps she will need to find another club."
Since winning the W-League last season, Canberra United coach Jitka Klimkova believes it is no longer in the best interest of the team for Perry to be splitting her time. Perry said she respects Klimkova's view and will now find a new club.
''I've been very fortunate to be involved with Canberra United for the last three W-League seasons but there are some changes at the club and the coach, Jitka Klimkova, has some different ideas about how the team needs to be run,'' she told the Sydney Morning Herald.
''I fully respect her philosophy, it's certainly her prerogative to change [how things work]. But mixing my football and cricket commitments doesn't work so well in her framework. It seems I'll have to start looking for a new club."
Cricket Australia spokesman Peter Young said CA would continue to support Perry's ambition to play both soccer and cricket.
"Ellyse Perry is a wonderful role model to young girls interested in either or both cricket and soccer," he said.
Perry said she is still passionate about both sports.
"Something I have to make sure is that I still love every moment of it, and at the moment I do," she said.
"I get a huge thrill out of playing both cricket and soccer."
First Posted 30 May, 2012 9:26AM AEDT
