The captain of Australia’s women’s team, Alyssa Healy, has said she is to retire from cricket in March, after the forthcoming series with India.
The wicketkeeper-batter has been playing for Australia for 15 years, making her debut as a teenager.
“It’s with mixed emotions that the upcoming India series will be my last for Australia,” said Healy. “I’m still passionate about playing for Australia, but I’ve somewhat lost that competitive edge that’s kept me driven since the start, so the time feels right to call it a day.
“Knowing I won’t be going to the T20 World Cup this year and the limited preparation time the team has, I won’t be part of the T20s against India, but I’m excited to have the opportunity to finish my career and captain the ODI and Test side at home against India – one of the biggest series on the calendar for us.
“I’ll genuinely miss my teammates, singing the team song and walking out to open the batting for Australia. Representing my country has been an incredible honour and I’m grateful for one last series in the green and gold.”
The series with India features three T20s in Sydney (February 15), Canberra (February 19) and Adelaide (February 21) followed by ODIs in Brisbane (February 24) and Hobart (February 27 and March 1). It concludes with a Test at the WACA in Perth from March 6 to 9.
If she plays five of the matches she will reach 300 internationals.
“Alyssa is one of the all-time greats of the game and has made an immeasurable contribution both on and off the field over her 15-year career,” said Todd Greenberg, Cricket Australia CEO.
“On behalf of Australian Cricket, I’d like to thank Alyssa and congratulate her on an incredible career that has inspired so many and changed the game for the better.
“We look forward to celebrating her achievements throughout the series against India.”
Proudly Australian owned and operated