Multi-day cricket in women's domestic game a 'no brainer': Ellyse Perry
Sep 10, 2021
Melbourne [Australia], September 10 : Australia all-rounder Ellyse Perry feels it is a "no brainer" that there should be multi-day cricket at the domestic level in the women's game.
Test cricket has returned to the women's game this year for the first time since 2019 when England played India in June. Australia is set to face India in a day-night Test at the end of September.
Currently, the only way for players to hone their long-format skills is if specific warm-up matches are arranged. There is a push among female players for more opportunities to play Test cricket and Perry feels having a proper structure at the level below can have multiple benefits.
"It's really important and I actually think it serves dual purposes. Certainly, it helps identify longer format players, it helps prepare the Australian team to play Test cricket but, equally, and perhaps more importantly it's such a great tool for development," ESPNcricinfo quoted Perry as saying.
"We've got so many young players in domestic squads now a lot of them haven't played a lot of cricket and don't get a chance to play a lot of cricket, particularly at the domestic level just because of the way that the summer set up.
"So for them to be exposed to longer days in the field, or longer days batting, it just gives them an incredible resource to improve their skills and develop as cricketers. So to me that it's sort of a bit of a no brainer in a little lot of ways because it serves that dual purpose," Perry added.