Will Australian PM and cricket legends celebrate Healy's remarkable career as she retires?
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Sydney, Jan 13 (NationPress) Australia’s captain Alyssa Healy announced on Tuesday that she will conclude her illustrious 16-year international career following the home series against India. The wicketkeeper-batter is set to lead her team in three ODIs, three T20Is, and a single Test match, marking her farewell in front of a home audience.
Healy's retirement announcement sparked an outpouring of support from the cricket community, including a commendation from Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. He praised her for her outstanding contributions to the game and expressed confidence in her future as a commentator.
“Alyssa Healy is a legend. Her career with Australia has been nothing short of extraordinary. The growth of women’s cricket, alongside the rise of other women’s sports, is commendable. She has led a fantastic team and will surely excel as a cricket commentator,” he stated in a post on X.
Mitchell Starc, Australia’s star pacer and Healy’s partner, shared a photo of her celebrating a century against England on Instagram, captioning it with an orange heart. He also expressed his pride in her through an Instagram story.
Cricket Australia released a video featuring former Aussie captain Meg Lanning and Healy's teammates Phoebe Litchfield and Tahlia McGrath, who praised her leadership and skills.
Leading all-rounder Ellyse Perry, who has closely observed Healy's journey, also reacted to the retirement announcement. She shared Cricket Australia’s post recognizing Healy’s influence, labeling her as ‘irreplaceable’ on her Instagram story.
“It’s with mixed feelings that the upcoming series against India will be my final one for Australia,” Healy remarked during her retirement announcement. “While my passion for playing remains, I have somewhat lost the competitive edge that has driven me from the beginning, so I believe it’s time to step back.”
“Understanding that I won’t be participating in the T20 World Cup this year and given the limited preparation time for the team, I won’t be involved in the T20s against India. However, I’m eager to conclude my career by captaining the ODI and Test matches at home against India, which is one of the most significant series for us,” she added.
In her career, Healy amassed 489 runs in 10 Tests, 3,563 runs across 123 ODIs, and 3,054 runs in 162 T20Is. In December 2023, she was appointed as Australia's full-time captain, succeeding Meg Lanning.