Australia suffers major setback before T20 World Cup as veteran cricketer announces retirement

Canberra (The Uttam Hindu): Australia’s experienced women’s cricketer Alyssa Healy has announced her retirement from all formats of cricket, delivering a major blow to the team ahead of this year’s Women’s T20 World Cup. The decision has surprised Australian cricket and fans alike. Healy has confirmed that she will step away from international cricket after March 2026. The 35-year-old wicketkeeper-batter will play her final international series against India.

Healy shared her retirement decision on January 12 during the Willow Talk podcast. She said that the upcoming series against India will be her last for Australia. While she still feels proud to represent her country, she explained that the competitive drive that once motivated her no longer feels the same, which led her to believe that this is the right time to retire.

Following Meg Lanning’s retirement in 2023, Alyssa Healy was appointed Australia’s full-time captain. She will not take part in the T20 International matches against India, allowing the team to begin preparations for the T20 World Cup later this year. However, she will feature in the ODI series and will conclude her career with a day-night Test match in Perth from March 6 to 9. This will be the 11th Test match of her career. Australia will head into the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup under a new captain.

Alyssa Healy made her international debut for Australia in February 2010 at the age of 19. She has scored over 3,563 runs in 123 One Day Internationals. In 162 T20 Internationals, she has amassed 3,054 runs at an average of 25.45, with an unbeaten 148 as her highest score. This remains the highest individual score in women’s T20 Internationals among full-member nations. She is also the second most-capped Australian woman in T20 Internationals.

During her illustrious career, Healy played a key role in Australia’s Women’s T20 World Cup triumphs in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020, and 2023, as well as ODI World Cup victories in 2013 and 2022. She was also named ICC Women’s T20 International Cricketer of the Year in 2018 and 2019.