Australia captain Alyssa Healy has retired from international cricket, announcing on Tuesday that she will step away from the game at the end of the ongoing home summer, bringing the curtain down on a celebrated 16-year career at the highest level.
Healy announced on the Willow Talk podcast, which she co-hosts, confirming that she will step away from all cricket at the end of the ongoing home summer, according to the International Cricket Council (ICC) website.
Her retirement from T20 Internationals takes immediate effect, ruling her out of Australia’s three-match T20I series against India scheduled from February 15 to 21.
However, the veteran wicketkeeper-batter will continue to feature in the longer formats. She is set to captain Australia in the ODI leg of the series later in February, as well as the one-off Test against India beginning March 6, marking her final appearances in Australian colours.
“It’s with mixed emotions that the upcoming India series will be my last for Australia,” Healy said in a statement. “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.”
Explaining her decision to skip the T20Is, Healy said it would allow the team to better prepare for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup later this year in England and Wales, where Australia begins their campaign on June 13 in Manchester.
“Knowing I won’t be going to the T20 World Cup and the limited preparation time the team has, I won’t be part of the T20s against India,” she said, adding that she was grateful for the chance to finish her career by leading the ODI and Test side at home in one of the biggest series on the calendar.
“I’ll genuinely miss my teammates, singing the team song and walking out to open the batting for Australia. Representing my country has been an incredible honour, and I’m grateful for one last series in the green and gold,” she added.
Australia will now have to plan for life after Healy, both as captain and senior player. While no immediate successor has been named, vice-captain Tahlia McGrath is among the frontrunners, with Ashleigh Gardner and Phoebe Litchfield also seen as potential leadership options.
Healy’s departure marks the end of an era for Australian women’s cricket, as the team looks ahead to a transition phase following their semi-final exit at the 2024 T20 World Cup.
