Ellyse Perry warns women's cricket schedule is hurting the sport's growth

Australian cricketer Ellyse Perry has urged for Australia's women's team to play regular matches during the peak of summer, warning the current schedule could hinder the sport's growth. The team has no home games during school-holiday windows this season. Australia will play nine white-ball matches at home against Bangladesh and New Zealand, all confined to October and March. The team hasn't played at home during summer school holidays since January 2025, with the WBBL also falling entirely during school term. Officials face challenges from India's WPL moving to January, potentially extending into February. Australia's only mid-summer home matches until 2029 are against Ireland in December 2028. Perry emphasized the importance of playing during holidays to inspire young fans and grow the game.