The 23-year-old, who is in Bangladesh starring for Australia in the Women’s World Twenty20 cricket tournament, was left out of the 23-player Matildas squad to face Brazil in this month’s two-match series in Brisbane.
Matildas Coach Hesterine de Reus confirmed to The Daily Telegraph on Monday that Perry wouldn’t be considered for this year’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup either.
“It’s not a concern to play two sports – I think in Australia it’s very common to do that – but when you play at the highest level you need to invest a lot of time to become a world-class player,” De Reus said.
“To do that with two sports at the same time is a bit harder. It’s a good sign for the development of women’s football, that it’s harder to earn a spot in the team.”
Four years ago, Perry was faced with the decision whether to play for Australia at the ICC World Twenty20 or at the 2010 AFC Women’s Asian Cup which overlapped. She chose cricket.
At the age of 16, Perry became the country’s youngest ever athlete to represent Australia in both cricket and football.
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