Australia have made their biggest selection decision in memory, dropping Ellyse Perry for the Ashes series opener against England.

Captain Meg Lanning confirmed Perry had been left out of the Twenty20 team, after she won the toss in Adelaide and elected to bowl first.

It marks the first time women’s cricket’s biggest name has been left out of an Australian side on form in more than a decade.

The call came as Australia opted to bring Grace Harris into the team to replace the injured Beth Mooney, who is unavailable with a broken jaw.

Lanning has been listed to open, with Harris at No.6.

Rachael Haynes returns to the side that beat India in October, creating the middle-order squeeze that prompted Perry to be overlooked.

Perry has long been regarded as one of the game’s greatest players, having been at the forefront of the growth of the sport since her debut in 2008.

But she has battled to regain her best with the ball since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted her comeback from a hamstring injury two years ago.

Coach Matthew Mott also noted that Australia were after middle-order players who could strike at a strike-rate of 150 when quizzed on Perry’s position earlier this week.

Mott also claimed in the same interview Perry had pushed for the team to be more strategically specific on selections for different formats.

Perry is still regarded as one of the world’s best in the 50-over and Test formats, and will almost certainly retain her spot when selections are made for those matches.

Meanwhile, legspinner Alana King will make her international debut, with Megan Schutt and Jess Jonassen also returning to the bowling attack.

England have only one change from the side that played India late last year, with allrounder Maia Bouchier promoted to the XI.

Two points are up for grabs in each of the three T20s and ODIs, while the Test match squeezed in between the limited-overs matches is worth four points.

Australia XI: Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning (capt), Tahlia McGrath, Rachael Haynes, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Nicola Carey, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tayla Vlaeminck, Megan Schutt.

England XI: Tammy Beaumont, Danielle Wyatt, Heather Knight (capt), Natalie Sciver, Amy Jones, Sophia Dunkley, Maia Bouchier Katherine Brunt, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, Freya Davies.