London, Aug 17 (IANS) Legendary Australia seam-bowling all-rounder Ellyse Perry has lauded the skillsets of India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, describing the latter’s mind and skill as ‘incredible’ while highlighting the former’s fierce competitive spirit.
Ellyse recently led Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred 2026 and concluded her campaign with a match-winning performance in their final league game. “What makes Smriti so successful? Her amazing skill. I think she’s got incredible willpower and a super-strong mind, the way she approaches the game, the way she prepares, the way she knows herself, the way she thinks about things, and the way that she likes challenges.
“She’s got it all. Harman, I think her greatest strength is her tenacity. She’s a great competitor, and when she’s going, she hits some of the biggest shots in the women’s game,” said Ellyse to JioStar.
Reflecting on her own remarkable career longevity and personal evolution over the years, Ellyse credited gradual, continuous learning rather than any single turning point. “You just naturally evolve as you grow as a person. Over the many years I’ve been involved in the game, there have been a number of different experiences, things to learn, people to work with and new avenues to explore.
“I guess incrementally, as that happens, you add new things or change the way you do things. Often, they’re only small changes, but over a long period of time, there’s always something new or a way to learn more. Hopefully, you keep improving, and that just kind of builds upon each other. So, nothing in particular, just years of experience.”
Despite accumulating numerous World Cup titles and accolades on the global stage, Ellyse maintained that wearing the Australian shirt remains her ultimate career highlight. “Honestly, just being able to play for Australia would be my proudest achievement. I’m a really passionate and patriotic Australian, and I love representing my country.”
Looking ahead to the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy in 2027, Ellyse welcomed the new addition to the international calendar, while acknowledging the physical and mental demands it will place on teams.
“It’s another great opportunity for the women’s game and for all the teams competing. From my perspective, it’s a new event, so it’s always exciting to be a part of something like that, and a new spot on the calendar, which will be great for everyone. You want to play every game well.
“This tournament will be physically and mentally a huge challenge, and preparing for those matches, everyone’s going to have to be spot on. But yeah, the mindset remains the same, you just want to win every game,” she added.
Offering her perspective on the next generation of female cricketers, Ellyse highlighted the shifting landscape of the women’s game and stressed on the value of mutual learning between generations as the key behind growing the game.
“I was unbelievably fortunate to have some amazing advice when I was younger. I grew up playing cricket locally with some great friends, and I’ve always gone down to the nets with my dad. He’s taught me just about everything I know about cricket, and I’ve just loved having him as a confidant and someone to lean on all the time.
“I think the landscape of women’s cricket is really different these days. You walk into a very different environment as a young professional, but those girls are so well prepared for that. So, I don’t think there’s any one piece of advice. It’s probably just as much as they would learn from current players, I learn from them.
“They’ve got a different experience, a different energy and a different way of going about things. So, it’s just about supporting each other and having a really open mind to learn from each other,” she concluded.
–IANS
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