Ellyse Perry: Sad we won’t be playing any matches during Australian summer

File pic- The summer will also feature the women’s BBL and the WPL, which Perry believes has added to the scheduling challenges.  | Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI

Ahead of Australia’s first ODI against Bangladesh on October 9, Ellyse Perry said it was sad that the national team will not be playing any matches in the upcoming Australian summer.

The Australian women’s team will play six matches in two weeks, finishing with the third T20I against New Zealand on October 22.

After that, Australia will play its next game only in March, which means the number-one ranked team in ODIs and T20Is, will not play an international fixture during its traditional home summer.

“I think everyone at the moment feels the challenge from a scheduling perspective that we’re not able to play probably in the peak months this summer when people are really tuned into cricket. Kids are on holidays, people are off work, so yeah there’s a challenge for sure, because our team has been largely successful and we have got some support from fans around the country,” Perry said.

Unlike the women, the men’s team will play as many as 12 international games during the summer- three ODIs and five T20Is against England from November 13, before a four-Test series against New Zealand from December 9 to January 8.

The summer will also feature the women’s BBL and the WPL, which Perry believes has added to the scheduling challenges.

“We just don’t have enough opportunity to play infront our fans because its a really jam-packed schedule. But hopefully, atleast in the women’s game, we can create more opportunities to play at home,” Perry added.