Australian skipper Alyssa Healy has never been one to shy away from reinvention. Now, after a season shadowed by injury and uncertainty, the star wicketkeeper-batter is preparing to step back behind the stumps with new hope, refined technique, and a burning desire to lead her team’s World Cup defence in India and Sri Lanka this September.
Healy’s 2024-25 season was marred by a brutal run of setbacks. A foot injury sidelined her from the T20 World Cup semi-final, while an untimely knee complaint truncated her Big Bash League campaign for the Sydney Sixers.
The rhythm of the summer never quite returned: forced absences from key series against India, the T20I leg of the Ashes, and a limited return as a specialist batter in the MCG Test left fans questioning whether one of the world’s best keepers had seen her time behind the stumps cut short.
“It’s been tough,” Healy admitted in Sydney at the launch of Cricket Australia’s historic new four-year partnership with Westpac. “Wicketkeeping places unique demands on your body, and honestly, I worried if I’d have to give up the gloves.”
But giving up is not in Healy’s vocabulary. The 35-year-old used the extended preseason to take a magnifying glass to her technique. Supported by Australia’s coaching staff and her own determination, Healy embarked on a mission to stay fit, agile, and ready for cricket’s most unforgiving position.
“We’ve been taught to keep in a certain way for so long in this country,” Healy reflected. “But it’s not always what’s best for the body, especially as you get older. It was time to make it easier on my joints, protect the foot and knee, and make sure I can keep performing for Australia.”
While fans might be looking for an obvious transformation, Healy says the changes are subtle, focusing primarily on her stance and setup, sparing her body from “getting as low as I used to.” She laughs off the technical shift, but there’s little doubt the adjustments are a calculated effort to extend her career and her influence on the game by adapting rather than retiring.
The first test for Healy’s new technique will come next week, as she lines up for Australia A against India A in Mackay and Brisbane. She’ll play as a specialist batter in the T20s, before donning the gloves again for three crucial ODIs.
“It’s my first time keeping in a competitive match since January,” she noted. “This series gives me the chance to see if the changes really work under fire, before the big stage of the World Cup.”
Healy’s immediate focus is getting through these matches unscathed, but her sights are squarely on the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, which Australia will attempt to defend later this year. The path to glory is steep: hosts India have laid down a marker with dominant wins in England, and England, under the guidance of Charlotte Edwards, remain dangerous opponents.
“In home conditions, India is going to be really tough to beat,” Healy said. “But don’t write England off just yet; they’ll find their groove.”
As the clock ticks down to the ODI World Cup in India from September 30 to November 2, Australian hopes hinge on the health and form of their inspirational captain. Should Healy’s adjustments hold up, she’ll be at the heart of another title challenge, chasing history as Australia aims for consecutive World Cup triumphs, a feat not seen since 1988.
For Healy, it’s about more than just surviving the rigours of wicketkeeping. It’s about rewriting the script, ensuring her leadership, gloves, and infectious energy remain integral to Australian cricket’s brightest chapter yet.
“My goal is to be there, behind the stumps, when the World Cup starts. I’ve done the work,” Healy concluded, her trademark determination undimmed.
(Quotes sourced from cricket.com.au)
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