Australian star all-rounder Ellyse Perry is widely regarded to be the greatest woman cricketer of all time.
Since her international cricket debut in a One-Day International (ODI) against arch-rivals New Zealand in July 2007, Ellyse Perry has continued to flourish in women’s cricket.
Despite not playing a single domestic match at the senior level, Ellyse Perry became the youngest Australian to play international cricket at the age of 16.
Since then, the Sydney-born cricketer has represented Australia in 13 Tests, 144 ODIs and 151 T20Is.
Perry has amassed over 6,500 runs and picked up more than 300 wickets in international cricket.
She has won eight world championships with the Australia women's national cricket team, 11 WNCL championships with New South Wales, and two WBBL championships with the Sydney Sixers.
Additionally, Perry has bagged the prestigious Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award and the highly-regarded Belinda Clark Award on three occasions each.
The star all-rounder has also been recognised as one of the Wisden Five Cricketers of the Decade: 2010-19.
The third player to take 150 scalps in women’s ODIs, Perry is Australia’s record-holder for highest score in Tests - 213 not out.
Widely regarded as the Greatest Woman Cricketer of All-Time, the Aussie legend’s incredible World Cup haul with the Australian cricket team includes two ODI World Cups to go with her six T20 World Cups.
A two-time Australian Women's Twenty20 Cup champion, the multi talented Perry also led Team Bangalore to their first-ever title in the second season the Women’s Indian T20 League in 2024. It was the first title in the history of the franchise.
Apart from her legendary cricket career, the most frequently asked question about her always seems to be: Is Ellyse Perry a football player?
Is Ellyse Perry a football player
Ellyse Perry is the first player to have featured in both ICC and FIFA World Cups.
Prior to her becoming a single-sport professional athlete from 2014 onward, Ellyse Perry made 18 appearances for the Australia women's national soccer team between 2007 and 2013.
A defender by trade, Perry made her international football debut against Hong Kong at Hong Kong Stadium in August 2007 and scored on her debut in the second minute of the match.
Perry then bagged her second international goal against South Korea in an AFC Women's Asian Cup match in May 2008.
Domestically, she played for the Central Coast Mariners in the 2008–09 W-League season before representing Canberra United at the start of the 2009 W-League season. Following her impressive campaign, she emerged as the joint-recipient of the 2009 W-League Young Player of the Year award with Brisbane Roar's Elise Kellond-Knight.
Perry also bagged three Canberra United awards for the season: the Players', Supporters' and overall Club Player of the Year.
Perry later represented the Matildas in the FIFA Women's World Cup 2011 in Germany where she netted her third international against Sweden in Australia’s 1-3 defeat.
In May 2012, Perry was warned by Canberra United to either quit cricket or find another W-League club. She instead opted to sign with Sydney FC for the 2012–13 season.
Perry was part of the Sydney FC’s squad that took part in the International Women's Club Championship 2013.
In 2014, Perry eventually decided to focus on cricket and quit playing football professionally. The rest as they say is history, cementing Perry’s place as one of the most genuine all-rounders in sport - men’s or women’s.
Photo credit: Alamy
