Alyssa Healy has been tasked with leading Australia’s victorious women’s cricket team into a new era after officially replacing Meg Lanning as captain in all three formats.
The gun-wicket-keeper batsman represented Lanning as captain for extended periods over the past two years, including at this year’s Ashes. Now the 33-year-old, who was named vice-captain last year, will take on the role full-time following Lanning’s surprise resignation from the national team last month.
Healy, a brilliant match-winner in her 255-match career, will lead Australia’s attempts to keep international cricket’s pursuers at bay.
“I am honored to accept the role of captain and grateful for the opportunity to lead our team,” Healy said in a statement. “I have really enjoyed the support of the players over the last few months and their encouragement to continue to be who I am and lead the group as I normally would from within.
“My approach will remain the same, but I will put my own stamp on the role and be sure to do my best to help this group maintain the success we have had.”
“It’s an exciting time to be working with this team. We are seeing the emergence of incredible young talent and are challenging ourselves to continually develop as a group,” said Healy. “I want to help create a new legacy for this Australian team. We can achieve great things.”
The decision to appoint Healy and all-rounder Tahlia McGrath as vice-captain was confirmed at a Cricket Australia (CA) board meeting on Friday.
“Alyssa is an outstanding player and leader who has earned tremendous respect on and off the field,” Ben Oliver, general manager of CA’s high performance and national teams, said in a statement.
“Alyssa brings a wealth of experience to this role and we have great confidence in her ability to successfully lead the Australian women’s team alongside Tahlia as vice-captain.
“We are very fortunate to have a talented and experienced group of players who will provide great support to Alyssa and Tahlia as the team continues to develop and look to build on its outstanding achievements.”
CA are aiming for leadership stability ahead of next year’s Twenty20 World Cup in Bangladesh and Healy and McGrath, along with coach Shelley Nitschke, are providing that.
“We actually have to think long-term and work towards world championships and big series and tournaments,” Healy said. “With a more permanent role and a little more clarity around that, all three of us as leaders of this team have an opportunity to make our mark and get the group to where we want to be, to hopefully hold up a trophy next year in Bangladesh.”
Healy’s reign will begin later this month after she declared herself a near-certain starter for the Test against India on December 21 at the famous Wankhede Stadium.
The Gold Coast girl, niece of 119-Test wicketkeeping star Ian Healy and partner of current Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc, missed the entire WBBL this season after suffering a severe injury while trying to break up a fight between her two dogs had injured his finger.
