Legendary player and captain Meg Lanning’s retirement from the game has left a hole in the Australian setup. Lanning had a terrific run as captain where she won 5 World Titles, a Gold at the Commonwealth Games, and led her team to a record-breaking ODI winning streak. She has left behind an unmatchable legacy and her shoes won’t be easy to fill. There are plenty of discussions going on in the Australian setup regarding her successor and everyone is eager to know who the next captain will be.
A strong contender for the role is wicketkeeper batter Alyssa Healy. She has amassed 5668 runs till now and holds the record for most catches and dismissals in a series. Moreover, she has the experience to lead a time. She has previously been the vice-captain of the side and was the interim captain during Lanning’s break from cricket. She is a strong leader and already has many achievements under her belt. She led the team to a series victory in India, won the recent series against the West Indies, and retained the Ashes.
Healy believes that she can lead the team in this transitioning phase and can help take the team to “another level”. At first, she approached the position from the perspective of being an interim leader but she is ready to take on the job full-time. She said, “I got asked would I love to do it and said ‘sure, why not’. I’ve sort of had a taste of it over the last 18 months and thoroughly enjoyed it…And how I can play a part in taking this group to another level, I’d love to do it.”
🇦🇺 Stand-in captain Alyssa Healy is keen for a full-time captaincy role to "play a part in taking this group to another level!" 🙌#CricketTwitter | 📸: Getty pic.twitter.com/RP84RjtN0D
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) November 16, 2023
Keeping the future in mind, there is a possibility of a younger captain being selected and Healy is supportive of that fact. She said that the decision is out of her hands but that she would contribute her hundred percent in every situation. “If it is me or if it is the next generation of leader within this group I will play my role to whatever it needs to be.”
Meanwhile, Healy is in a race against time to be fit for the India tour. She sustained an injury while playing with her dogs which ruled her out of the WBBL and has now cast doubts over her participation in the first test match. Healy, however, is confident and said that she is on track and recovering well. “It’s going really well, I’m guided by the experts in that regard because I’ve got no idea, but it’s all healed really well…hopefully in the next few weeks I can get back in to some cricket skills and get ready for the trip to India.”
The team will hope that Healy recovers in time from her injury. Captain or not, she is an invaluable player for the side and her skills will surely be missed if she is ruled out of the game. Meanwhile, it remains to be seen when the next captain of the Australian team will be announced.
(Quotes sourced from Fox Cricket)
Vaishnavi is a passionate author with an unwavering love for cricket, particularly women’s cricket. Her writing reflects her deep admiration for the sport and her dedication to promoting women’s participation in it. When she’s not following the latest cricket matches, Vaishnavi can be found engrossed in books or enjoying movies.