Australia are ready to take a chance on Ellyse Perry if necessary for Sunday’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final at Lord’s, with head coach Shelley Nitschke saying the all-rounder could play even if she is not fully fit.Perry retired feeling hurt during Australia’s semi-final win over the West Indies at The Oval after what the team described as “less quad awareness”. She departed after being bowled seven balls later and Australia later stated that the decision was taken as a precaution as they were in control of the match.Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Nitschke said Australia had not trained since the semi-finals, so there was no clear information yet on Perry’s condition. However, she admitted that the World Cup final changes the way teams assess players’ fitness.“Yes, potentially,” Nitschke said when asked if Perry could play without being fully fit.“I think there are still certain things she wants to be able to do, too, [to] and still be able to contribute to the team and hold your own, be it on the field or running between the wickets. But there is that element, this is the final of the World Cup, so what is our tolerance there? So, definitely a slightly different lens than maybe before.”Nitschke said the team remains hopeful Perry will be available for the finals.“I hope she did well and is free on Sunday,” Nitschke said.“Actually, we don’t have a clear picture of what it looks like.“We’re confident, but we’re not completely 100 percent sure how it went down right now.”Perry was Australia’s leading run scorer in the tournament with 185 runs at an average of 46.25 and a strike rate of 135.03. She scored half-centuries against Pakistan and India, including a 38-ball 56 against India that led Australia to victory and ended Harmanpreet Kaur’s team’s campaign.She also took four wickets during the tournament.Australia will play in their first global tournament final since 2023 when they take to the pitch at Lord’s on Sunday. Perry, who missed the 2020 Women’s World Cup T20 final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground with a knee injury, is now fighting to be fit for another chance at the World Cup final.
