Mandhana has ‘incredible willpower’, Harmanpreet is a ‘great competitor’ says Ellyse Perry

Australia great Ellyse Perry has praised Smriti Mandhana’s incredible willpower and strong mindset, while highlighting Harmanpreet Kaur’s tenacity and competitiveness. Perry also backed the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy and reflected on the evolution of women’s cricket and learning from younger players

Mumbai: Smriti Mandhana’s “incredible willpower” and a “super-strong mind” and India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s tenacity are the qualities of the Indian superstars that stand out to her, said Australia legend Ellyse Perry on Monday.

Perry hailed Smriti’s approach to the game and said she has got all the qualities.

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“What makes Smriti so successful? Her amazing skill,” Mandhana told JioHotstar.

“She has got incredible willpower and a super-strong mind. The way she approaches the game, the way she prepares, the way she knows herself, the way she thinks about things, and the way that she likes challenges. She’s got it all.”

Talking about Harmanpreet, the veteran all-rounder said, “Harman, I think her greatest strength is her tenacity. She’s a great competitor, and when she’s going, she hits some of the biggest shots in the women’s game.”

Perry also gave a thumbs-up to the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy, which will be held next year.

“It is another great opportunity for the women’s game and for all the teams competing,” Perry said.

“From my perspective, it’s a new event, so it’s always exciting to be a part of something like that and a new spot on the calendar, which will be great for everyone.”

“You want to play every game well. This tournament will be physically and mentally a huge challenge, and preparing for those matches, everyone is going to have to be spot on. But the mindset remains the same; you just want to win every game.”

Perry said her vast experience in the game has helped in her evolution and growth as a person.

“You just naturally evolve as you grow as a person. Over the many years, there have been a number of different experiences, things to learn, people to work with, and new avenues to explore.”

“Incrementally, as that happens, you add new things or change the way you do things. Often, they’re only small changes, but over a long period of time, there’s always something new or a way to learn more,” she added.

Perry said the landscape of women’s cricket has changed since she began playing and there is a lot that senior players can learn from the younger ones.

“The landscape of women’s cricket is really different these days. You walk into a very different environment as a young professional, but those girls are so well prepared for that,” she said.

“So I don’t think there is any one piece of advice. It is probably just as much as they would learn from current players, I learn from them. They have got a different experience, a different energy and a different way of going about things. So, it is just about supporting each other and having a really open mind to learn from each other,” Perry added.