Australia’s new vice-captain
Alyssa Healy has been named as the new vice-captain of Australia following Rachael Haynes’s retirement from International cricket last month. Let us look at Australia’s new vice-captain.
With skipper Meg Lanning on a break for indefinite time, this is the moment for Healy to make the most out of upcoming Australia series were she will perform the duty of stand-in captain.
Australia will be visiting India for a T20I series in December. Then they will head back to home for series against Pakistan before the Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa. The World Cup will take place in February.
What National selector said about Healy’s appointment as vice-captain?
“We’re delighted that Alyssa has agreed to take on the role of vice-captain and look forward to the contribution she can make in tandem with Meg,” Shawn Flegler, Head of Performance, Women’s Cricket and National Selector said.
“Alyssa is an outstanding leader on and off the field and brings a wealth of experience to the role.
“We have great confidence in Alyssa, Meg and Shelley leading the team during an exciting 12-month period that will see the team defend its T20 World Cup title and look to retain the Ashes on English soil.”
Healy had a prior experience of performing the duty of vice-captaining the Australian side, as during the India tour in 2021 when Haynes was not available due to hamstring injury, Healy serves as vice-captain for the side on temporary basis.
Apart from vice-captaincy role, she also having an experience of handling the side as a skipper. She is the current skipper of the New South Wales Women’s cricket team in domestic one-dayers since 2018.
She was vice-captain for Sydney Sixers in the first seven Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) seasons.
Alyssa Healy’s reaction
“It’s a privilege to have been offered the vice-captaincy of any Australian team. Let alone one that’s tasted as much success as this one,” Healy said.
“Rach played a key role in supporting Meg as well as driving the values and culture of the team and while she leaves big shoes to fill. I’m looking forward to helping lead this side alongside Meg and Shell.
“It’s a really exciting time to be involved with this team; we’ve seen personnel changes as well as the emergence of incredible young talent. And with a T20 World Cup and away Ashes just around the corner. I’m looking forward to this next chapter of my career.”
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 will start from February 10, 2023.
Australia is in the group 1 with New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. While India, England, Pakistan, West Indies and Ireland are in Group 2.
The no.1 ranked side in the world, Australia will start their campaign against New Zealand on February 11 at the Boland Park in Paarl.
The final of the competition will take place at Newlands in Cape Town on February 26.
