Big blow to Australia as Ellyse Perry ruled out for rest of T20I, ODI series against New Zealand

Perry had torn the same hamstring during the New Zealand game in the group stages of the T20 World Cup at home earlier this year. It required surgery and six months of rest, but the latest setback is not as serious. Australia skipper Meg Lanning said she is hopeful Perry will return to the field in time for the WBBL which begins on October 25.

“It’s the same hamstring but a different muscle within the hamstring. It’s on the minor end, so hopefully it doesn’t delay it too much,” Australia captain Meg Lanning said. “She’s doing everything she can to be available as soon as possible."

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“It’s a very complex injury and hard to get the timing on when certain things will happen. It’s really important to get it right and take the time before we do put her out on the field.”

Having already missed the historic T20 World Cup final earlier this year, the allrounder will also miss out on Australia's bid to equal the all-time record of 21 consecutive ODI wins held by Rickey Ponting's Australian side. The Lanning-led side are currently sitting on 18 wins on the trot - a streak that began in March 2018.

The skipper also said it was a good sign that the team still possessed a winning ruthless streak even without Perry. “I think we’ve developed that over a period of time. We don’t rely on one or two players,” Lanning said.

“As we saw in the first game, Ash Gardner was able to step up and make a match-winning contribution. So that gives us a lot of confidence that if our top three doesn’t fire, we’ve still got real depth to get us over the line. With the ball as well we’ve developed that depth,” she said. Meanwhile, Perry will be with the national team to continue her rehabilitation.