Australia’s squad is boosted with the return of Alyssa Healy ahead of the three match ODI series against New Zealand, but her participation remains uncertain throughout all three matches.
Australia is monitoring the fitness of their regular skipper Alyssa Healy and her availability throughout the series is yet to be determined.
Healy is set to play as a specialist batter with Beth Mooney to continue in the role of keeper-batter for the ODIs against New Zealand.
Healy had missed the home series against India earlier this month following a knee injury sustained during the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) 10 as she featured in four games before being ruled out. The Australian skipper has had fitness issues lately, having suffered a foot injury that sidelined her from the latter stages of the T20 World Cup.
Head coach Shelley Nitschke acknowledged the challenges, stating that Healy’s role in the series will be evaluated on a game-by-game basis.
“That remains to be seen with training today … it could potentially change the make-up of the side somewhat, but we just need to see how the next 24 to 48 hours goes before the first game,” Nitschke remarked.
For Healy, the series presents an opportunity to regain her form after an extended absence from competitive cricket.
Addressing her return, Healy explained, “I won’t be wicketkeeping this series … but there’s not a lot of cricket leading into the Ashes, so for me, it’s an opportunity to try and get back on the park, as a batter, and try and find some runs more importantly.”
Reflecting on her absence, Healy added, “I feel like I’ve hardly played any cricket for the last eight or nine months and there’s a good opportunity to do that. The knee’s tracking well, it’s just a day-by-day thing, and we’ll just assess as we go.”
Healy’s return in the side would also put uncertainty on Georgia Voll to feature in the playing XI. Voll had recently made her debut, coming in as a replacement for Healy in the ODI series against India. Opening the innings, she amassed an impressive 173 runs in the three matches, including a century in the second ODI.
Though Voll bats at the top order in the domestic circuit in the 50-over game, Healy emphasised the possibility of the Queensland batter playing a different role and hinting she could bat down the order.
The three match ODI series will begin from January 19 and all the three matches will be played at Basin Reserve in Wellington.
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