'Full IPL season' the next step for women's cricket – Ellyse Perry
"A full IPL season is definitely the next step," Perry told foxsports.com.au."It would open up huge avenues for the game to continue to grow. Putting that competition in place would take the game to all new heights."
A trial-run for the women's IPL was carried out by the BCCI in May when an exhibition match was played in Mumbai, before the Qualifier 1 clash between Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Perry was one of five Australians – Meg Lanning, Alyssa Healy, Megan Schutt and Beth Mooney were the others – to take part in the match, in which Harmanpreet Kaur's Supernovas took on Smriti Mandhana's Trailblazers.
"The first exhibition match we did was really successful and I guess it’s now up to the BCCI to find a way to implement a full tournament," Perry said.
With the ICC Women's World T20 2018 to be held in November in the Windies, teams have stepped up preparations for the tournament by sending their best players to play in the ongoing Women's Super League in England.
India's @mandhana_smriti had a long-cherished dream come true recently, when she met her idol, one of the all-time great left-handed batsmen.
— ICC (@ICC) August 9, 2018
👉 https://t.co/jKWdr0X6M2 pic.twitter.com/u3NV9glfzp
Perry said it was great for women's cricket. "As the sport gets more and more professional and girls are able to play on a full-time basis, it’s only going to develop the way that they play the game," she said.
The 27-year-old will be an integral part of the Australia side that will take on New Zealand on 29 September at North Sydney Oval to kick off their summer.
However, with the World T20 just around the corner, there will be no Test this season. Perry, who scored a majestic double hundred the last time she turned out in whites in the Women's Ashes, said more countries should play Tests on a regular basis in addition to England and Australia.
"I certainly think there are other countries in the world that are up to that (Test) standard and probably have been for a number of years," she said.
"I suppose that’s really up to Cricket Australia and other international boards to discuss the viability of playing Test match cricket. Countries like New Zealand, South Africa, India, they’ve got to want to do it as well.
"I know Cricket Australia are doing absolutely everything in their power at the moment to progress the women’s game."