Southern Stars prepare for Pakistan series
Perry in doubt for opener
Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars vice-captain Alex Blackwell believes her side won’t be lacking for options if star allrounder Ellyse Perry isn’t available for game one of the side’s One-Day International series against Pakistan starting on Thursday.
A knee injury limited Perry to batting, light fielding and boxing during the side’s three-hour workout at Redlands Cricket Ground today, throwing doubt over her chances of suiting up in the series opener.
The 23-year-old allrounder has elevated her game to new heights in recent times, averaging 60.35 with the bat and picking up 21 wickets across all formats since the start of last summer’s Ashes.
But despite the strong possibility of Perry missing out, Blackwell isn’t overly concerned.
“I think the depth (we have) is fantastic at the moment,” the 106-ODI veteran told cricket.com.au.
“Yes, it is a shame to not have one of the best, if not the best, allrounder in the world in our team but she’s doing her very best to get herself back on the park as quick as possible.
“I think with the longer goals, in terms of Ashes and the West Indies (limited-overs series), we don’t want her to have any more setbacks, or for her to rush back.”
The upcoming series against world number eight Pakistan heralds a new era for women’s cricket with the launch of the ICC’s International Women’s Championship.
The new program will see each of the full-member women’s-cricket playing nations face off against each other over two years, with the top-four ranked sides at the end of that time earning an automatic 2017 World Cup berth.
The bottom four ranked sides will have to earn a place through a qualifier tournament against the top-ranked Associate nations.
Previously, due to a lack of funding and infrastructure, series outside of major international tournaments regularly involved teams that were nearby geographically or had strong historic ties – as is the case with the Women’s Ashes.
The new system aims to create more of a global women’s game.
“It’s great that we’re able to play Pakistan outside of a World Cup because we so rarely get to play them,” Blackwell said of the side Australia has played just six times since 1997.
“It will do wonders for them in terms of development and I think women’s cricket around the world is going to improve.”
The new scenario also makes for some very interesting cricket, with the enigmatic West Indies set to tour Australia in November.
With a 2013 World Cup final defeat still simmering in recent memory and the prodigious Deandra Dottin settled comfortably in the side’s middle order, the tourists are expected to give their more-fancied opponents more than a run for their money in two months’ time.
“I think the West Indies is going to be a wonderful series.” Blackwell said.
“They’re a form team and a dangerous team.
“We’re not taking Pakistan lightly, we’ll want to perform very well in all eight matches, but in November I think there will be some very exciting matches.”
And what of the series after that?
“The next big thing on the horizon for us (will be) the Ashes.
“We just saw England beaten by India in a Test match, so they’re certainly beatable, and I think we have a better game (now) than we did at the WACA (last Ashes series).
“We don’t have that trophy and we do really want it alongside our World Cups.”
Stay up to date with all the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars news and watch live coverage of the Pakistan series on cricket.com.au