Perry hits training to downplay shoulder injury fears

Australia captain Meg Lanning has brushed aside speculation Ellyse Perry is under an injury cloud, declaring the star allrounder will be fit to take her place in Thursday's clash against Bangladesh.

The sight of Perry at Perth airport with her bowling shoulder strapped on Tuesday caught the attention of the media throng, but the 29-year-old arrived at Australia's training session at Canberra's Phillip Oval on Wednesday afternoon as expected.

"It's fine," Lanning told reporters of Perry's shoulder in Canberra on Wednesday.

"It's something she's been managing since the WBBL but she's trained every time we've been out there training and she's played every game.

"It's nothing that's going to keep her out of any games or anything like that.

"She'll train fully today.

"I'm sure there's a few players in this competition who are managing injuries, she's a professional and she deals with it really well so we're not expecting anything major out of that."

Perry bowled at full pace, then padded up for a session batting during the two-hour training session in blazing Canberra sunshine.

The star allrounder's WBBL season was cut short after nine matches last November after she suffered a mild AC joint strain in a fielding mishap, but she has played every possible game for Victoria and Australia since making her return in early January.

She bowled four overs against Sri Lanka on Monday apparently untroubled, having worked her way through a lengthy training stint the previous day.

Asked if there was a temptation to rest Perry from Thursday's game against ninth-ranked Bangladesh, Lanning's response was a blunt "no".

A notoriously diligent trainer both in the nets and in the gym, Perry's preparation through the tri-series in the lead-up to the World Cup was up to her usual meticulous standards, with no suggestion she has been forced to lower her work rate to manage an ailment.

Meanwhile, Australian allrounder Sophie Molineux is set to undergo a fitness test on Wednesday afternoon to determine her availability for the Manuka Oval game.

Left-arm spinner Molineux hasn't played since suffering a corked thigh during a training session on February 11 ahead of the CommBank T20I Tri-Series final, having fallen on a ball during a drill.

Her last outing saw her collect 3-19 against England in a player-of-the-match performance and Australia will desperately hope to get her back on the park with two crucial group matches remaining against Bangladesh and New Zealand.

"She's coming along well, she'll train today and then we'll assess how she pulls up from that and see if she's available for selection tomorrow night," Lanning said.

"It's a wait and see, it's been very frustrating for her and for us to not have her available, but she's doing everything she can to get back."

Australia will play Bangladesh for the first time in any format at Manuka Oval on Thursday night at 7pm AEDT.

2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Erin Burns, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy (wk), Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Molly Strano, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

February 21:India won by 17 runs

February 24: Australia won by five wickets

February 27: Australia v Bangladesh, Manuka Oval 

March 2: Australia v New Zealand, Junction Oval

March 5: Semi-final 1 & Semi-final 2, SCG

March 8: Final, MCG

For a full list of all World Cup fixtures, click HERE

* All matches will be broadcast on Fox Cricket and Kayo, while Australia's matches will also be broadcast on the Nine Network