All-rounder Ellyse Perry, a key member of Australia’s T20 World Cup squad, has been ruled out from the tournament after straining her hamstring during their last Group A encounter against New Zealand on Monday, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The 29-year-old Perry had been an integral part of the Australian set up, having played in all the T20 World Cups so far. She had been struggling with shoulder pain during the group stage campaign but had made the final eleven against New Zealand in what was a virtual quarter-final. She played her part with the bat, scoring a quick-fire 21 but had to limp off mid-way in the second innings.
Australia went on to win the match by four runs to reach the last four stage.
“Ellyse sustained a high-grade right hamstring injury that is expected to keep her out of the game for a significant period of time. We are currently exploring management options and will continue to support Ellyse through her recovery,” Australian team doctor Pip Inge was quoted as saying by the paper.
Australian skipper Meg Lanning admitted that Perry’s injury was a big loss for the team but expressed confidence that they had enough depth in their squad to be able to successfully defend their crown.
“Ellyse has been a massive part of our squad and team for a long time and you can’t replace her,” Lanning was quoted as saying on the ICC website.
“But we’ve got 15 players here who can do a job and you need a squad to win a World Cup. You can’t rely on one or two players and use the same 11 players every game
“We’re going to have to use the depth we’ve got — that’s just the reality of elite sport, unfortunately,” she added.