Alyssa Healy, the captain of the Australian women's cricket team, has announced her retirement from international cricket following the upcoming home series against India. The 35-year-old wicketkeeper-batter will bring an end to her illustrious 15-year career after the series, which includes three T20 internationals, three One Day Internationals (ODIs), and a Test match.
Healy, who made her debut for Australia in 2010, has established herself as one of the greats of the game. She has accumulated over 7,000 runs across all three international formats and has 275 dismissals to her name. A decorated player, Healy has won eight World Cup titles, including six T20 World Cups and two ODI World Cups. She took over the captaincy of the Australian team in late 2023, following Meg Lanning's retirement.
Healy holds several impressive records, including the highest individual score in an ODI World Cup final with 170 against England in 2022. She also holds the record for the most runs in a T20 international, with 148 not out against Sri Lanka in 2019, and the most dismissals in T20 internationals by a woman or man, with 126. If she plays five of the matches in the India series, she will reach 300 international appearances.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Healy expressed mixed emotions about her decision. "It's with mixed emotions that the upcoming India series will be my last for Australia," she said. "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". She also revealed that she would not be participating in the T20Is against India or the upcoming T20 World Cup in England later this year. However, she is looking forward to the opportunity to captain the ODI and Test sides against India.
Speaking on the WillowTalk Cricket Podcast, Healy mentioned the mental fatigue of the last few years and dealing with injuries as contributing factors to her decision. She humorously added that her husband, Mitchell Starc's recent hole-in-one in golf, also influenced her decision, as she wants to take up the sport full time to compete with him.
The series against India is scheduled to begin on February 15 with the T20Is, followed by the ODIs starting on February 24, and concluding with the Test match in Perth from March 6-9.
Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg acknowledged Healy's immense contribution to the game. "Alyssa is one of the all-time greats of the game and has made an immeasurable contribution both on and off the field," Greenberg stated.
