Alyssa Healy, the captain of the Australian women's cricket team, has announced her retirement from international cricket, effective after the upcoming series against India. The 35-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, who has been a mainstay in the Australian side for 15 years, stated that she has lost some of the competitive edge that has driven her since her debut.
Healy's final series will be against India, featuring three T20 internationals from February 15-21, three ODIs from February 24 to March 1, and a Test match in Perth from March 6-9. While she will participate in the ODI and Test matches, Healy has opted out of the T20Is, acknowledging the limited preparation time for the team ahead of the T20 World Cup in June-July in England and Wales. Her last match is scheduled to be the Test against India in Perth from March 6-9. If she plays five of the seven matches against India, she will reach 300 international appearances.
Since her international debut against New Zealand in February 2010, Healy has amassed over 7,000 runs and 275 dismissals across all formats of the game. She has been an integral part of Australia's dominant era, contributing to six T20 World Cup victories and two ODI World Cup wins. Individually, Healy holds the record for the highest individual score in an ODI World Cup final, with her remarkable 170 against England in 2022. She also holds the record for the most runs in a T20 international, scoring 148 not out against Sri Lanka in 2019. Furthermore, she has the most dismissals in T20Is by a woman or man, with 126. In 2019, Healy recorded the fastest century in a T20I match, scoring 148 runs off just 61 balls against Sri Lanka.
Taking over the captaincy from Meg Lanning in 2023, Healy led Australia to a historic 16-0 Ashes series victory over England in 2024-25, a clean sweep across all three formats, which she described as one of the best achievements of her career. Healy was also awarded the 2019 Belinda Clark Award and named ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of the Year twice.
"It's with mixed emotions that the upcoming India series will be my last for Australia," Healy stated. "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 expressed that she will genuinely miss her teammates, singing the team song, and opening the batting for Australia.
With Healy's retirement, Australia will need to appoint a new captain before the upcoming T20 World Cup. Tahlia McGrath, the current vice-captain who has previously filled in as skipper, and Ashleigh Gardner are considered the main contenders for the role. Other potential options include Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, and Phoebe Litchfield.
Alyssa Healy's contribution to Australian cricket has been immense, and she will be remembered as one of the all-time greats of the game. Her aggressive batting style, exceptional wicketkeeping skills, and leadership qualities have left an indelible mark on the sport, inspiring countless fans and aspiring cricketers.
