Women’s World Cup: Australia’s Ellyse Perry says not certain to start Windies semi-final

Perry has been rested since suffering back spasms in Australia's win over South Africa last week but returns to training later on Monday.

Ellyse Perry poses with the Player of the Match award after the 2022 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup clash against New Zealand in March 2022. (ICC)

Australia’s Ellyse Perry still needs to prove her fitness for the Women’s World Cup semi-final against the West Indies, the star all-rounder said on Monday.

Perry has been rested since suffering back spasms in Australia’s win over South Africa last week but returns to training later on Monday.

She said the injury was “definitely improving”.

“It’s going really well, but obviously just need to make sure that I’m in the best possible spot to be able to contribute, if I was to play,” she told reporters.

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“We’ll do a couple more things at training in the next few days. And if I get there, I do. Fingers crossed.”

The semi-final takes place at Wellington’s Basin Reserve on Wednesday, with the winner playing either South Africa or champions England in Sunday’s final.

Perry played a key role in Australia’s seven-wicket thrashing of the West Indies in Wellington during the round robin phase, scything through the top order to take 3-22.

Perry, who missed the semi-finals and final of the 2020 T20 World Cup on home soil through injury, said she had never had back spasms before in her career and the injury was “not hugely serious”.

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“There’s no longstanding history with back issues or anything chronic,” she said.

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