Healy, who was named Meg Lanning’s full time successor as captain in late 2023, won’t feature in the T20I leg of the India series so Australia can start building towards the T20 World Cup later in the year, but will play the ODIs before finishing her career with an 11th Test cap in the day-night encounter at the WACA from March 6-9.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Healy said on Willow Talk, the podcast she’s a regular panelist on. “The last few years has been probably more mentally draining than anything else. A few injuries. I’ve got to dive into the well, and the well is getting less and less full of water. Getting harder to dive back in there.
“I’ve always felt like I’ve had a competitive edge in that I want to compete, I want to win and I want to challenge myself on the park. I’ve felt as I’ve got a little bit older, I’ve not necessarily lost all of it, but I’ve lost some of that.
“I think the WBBL [last year] was probably a bit of a wake-up call. Not being able to hold the bat with two hands didn’t help either but waking up and going, ‘just another day of cricket’, really surprised myself because I still thought I loved playing the game.”
While thoughts had started to turn to when Healy may call time on her career, the somewhat sudden nature of the announcement was a surprise. But had been partly been forced by her decision not to play through to the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup in England in June. Healy said trying to reach that tournament would not have been “doing the right thing” by her team-mates.
“There might be a little bit of change within that series [against India] leading into the World Cup, and some leadership stuff. But for me, the opportunity to play at home, still captain the team in that series is going to be really special,” Healy said
“I never wanted to announce it, wanted to get to the end of the Test match [against India, starting March 6 in Perth], but with me not going into the T20 World Cup, it’s forced a little bit of change. Not a lot of T20 cricket leading into that for the girls, so it’s probably the place for me to make a decision on that format and give the girls an opportunity to prepare for that World Cup knowing that I’m not going to be there.
“It has forced an announcement of sorts, but it has given me some peace as well because I’ve known this in the back of my mind for probably six months. But to finally say it and get it out there, would be ideal for everyone to just clap it and move on.
“At the end of the day, to have an opportunity to finish at home against India, which is on the calendar one of the biggest series for us. I thought that would be a really cool way to finish with some of my team-mates and some family around as well. It would’ve been nice to do it in India with a World Cup, but doing it at home will be something special.”
Healy conceded the injury late in the ODI World Cup was “a real body blow” and had severely hindered her during the WBBL but added she was currently feeling good fitness-wise ahead of her final months in the game.
“I think I’ve been doing this for a really long time and competed at the highest level for that amount of time, [so announcing retirement] wasn’t a sad thing,” she said at a press conference in Sydney. “I’ve always enjoyed the perspective of there’s so much more to life than just cricket. I’m really blessed with that perspective throughout my life.
“I guess when it comes to retirement, it’s quite daunting for a lot of people, but standing here right now, I’m really excited for the future come the end of March.
“I’ll obviously be excited to run back out there a couple more times for Australia, but what happens after that I think is going to be really exciting and I’m looking forward to that next chapter. It was just probably one of those moments where you know that one door closes and another one might open.”
Healy made her Australia debut as a 19-year-old in February 2010 and has scored more than 3500 runs in ODIs. In T20Is she will finish with 3054 runs at 25.45 including a career-best 148 not out, the highest individual score among Full Member teams. She has since played the second most T20I matches for Australia and currently holds the record for the most T20I dismissals (men’s or women’s).
She won the Women’s T20 World Cup in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020 and 2023 and the ODI World Cup in 2013 and 2022. Healy was also ICC’s T20I Cricketer of the Year in 2018 and 2019.
“Alyssa is one of the all-time greats of the game and has made an immeasurable contribution both on and off the field over her 15-year career,” Todd Greenberg, the Cricket Australia CEO, said. “On behalf of Australian Cricket, I’d like to thank Alyssa and congratulate her on an incredible career that has inspired so many and changed the game for the better. We look forward to celebrating her achievements throughout the series against India.”
Healy is expected to feature in the WNCL for New South Wales over the coming weeks in preparation for the India series but has played her last game for Sydney Sixers in the WBBL.
“Alyssa leaves behind an incredible legacy, inspiring a generation of young cricketers, both boys and girls,” Leah Poulton, Cricket NSW head of female cricket, said. “She’s an entertainer in every sense of the word and an absolute joy to watch.
“I feel fortunate to have witnessed her journey from start to finish, and to watch her grow into such an accomplished leader and figure in the game. Cricket will miss her on-field presence, but I know she won’t be lost to the sport.”
Rachael Haynes, Sydney Sixers’ general manager and Healy’s former team-mate, said: “Midge is a larrikin, a leader and the ultimate team-mate whose impact has pioneered change in our game, especially for female athletes.”
Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo
