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Alyssa Healy Retires: PM Albanese, Cricket Stars Salute Aussie Great's Career

Australian women's cricket captain Alyssa Healy has announced she will retire from international cricket following the upcoming home series against India. Her decision prompted widespread praise, including from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who called her a "legend" and predicted a successful future in commentary. Teammates, past and present, including Ellyse Perry and Meg Lanning, along with her partner Mitchell Starc, shared heartfelt tributes online. Healy explained that while still passionate, she has lost the "competitive edge" that drove her through a 16-year career that saw her amass over 7,000 international runs.

Key Points: Alyssa Healy Announces Retirement, Tributes Pour In

  • Healy to retire after India series
  • PM Albanese praises her as legend & future commentator
  • Teammates & partner Starc share tributes
  • Took over full-time captaincy in 2023
3 min read

Australian PM, cricket fraternity laud Healy's incredible career after Aussie great announces retirement

Australian PM Anthony Albanese and cricket stars laud captain Alyssa Healy as she announces her international retirement after the home series vs India.

"Alyssa Healy is a legend. She has had such an incredible career. - Anthony Albanese"

Sydney, Jan 13

Australia captain Alyssa Healy, on Tuesday, announced that she will draw the curtains on her glittering 16-year international career after the home series against India. The wicketkeeper-batter will lead Australia in three ODIs, three T20Is and a one-off Test before signing off in front of the home crowd.

Healy's announcement received widespread reactions from the cricket community and Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who praised her for her remarkable contributions to the sport. He also believed that Healy has the potential to become an excellent commentator.

"Alyssa Healy is a legend. She has had such an incredible career playing for Australia and leading Australia. The rise of women's cricket, which has in parallel seen a rise of other women's sports, is a great thing. It is a fantastic team that she has led. She is not only a great player, but she will also, I'm sure, continue to evolve as I think she's a great cricket commentator," he said in a post shared on X.

Mitchell Starc, Australia's ace pacer and Healy's partner, posted a photo of the cricketer celebrating her century against England on Instagram, with an orange heart as the caption, and also posted a picture on his Insta story, writing "Proud of ya."

Cricket Australia posted a video in which former Aussie skipper Meg Lanning and Healy's current teammates Phoebe Litchfield and her deputy Tahlia McGrath commended her intent and skills as a captain.

Australia's leading all-rounder, Ellyse Perry, who has seen Healy's career closely, also responded to her captain's retirement. She shared Cricket Australia's post praising Healy's impact on her Instagram story, writing 'irreplaceable' next to it.

"It's with mixed emotions that the upcoming India series will be my last for Australia," Healy said while announcing retirement. "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."

"Knowing I won't be going to the T20 World Cup this year and the limited preparation time the team has, I won't be part of the T20s against India, but I'm excited to have the opportunity to finish my career and captain the ODI and Test side at home against India, one of the biggest series on the calendar for us," she added.

Healy has scored 489 runs in 10 Tests. She has accumulated 3,563 runs across 123 ODIs and 3,054 runs in 162 T20Is. In December 2023, she was appointed Australia's full-time captain, taking over from Meg Lanning.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Respect from an Indian cricket fan. Healy's stats speak for themselves. Over 3000 runs in both ODIs and T20Is is phenomenal. The rise of women's cricket has been incredible to watch, and players like her have been at the forefront. Hope our Indian women's team can create similar legends.
A
Aman W
It's always sad to see a great player retire. But honestly, as an Indian fan, I'm a bit relieved! She's been a thorn in our side for years. Jokes aside, she's had a stellar career. The fact that the PM is commenting shows how big women's sport has become. Good for her.
S
Sarah B
"Lost that competitive edge" – that's such an honest and relatable reason for retirement. It takes great self-awareness. Wishing her all the best. The upcoming India-Australia series just got even more emotional and significant.
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Vikram M
A true great of the game. While I'll always support Team India, you have to admire champions from other nations. Her partnership with Mitchell Starc is like a cricketing power couple! Hope she enjoys her retirement and her commentary is insightful, not biased 😉.
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Kavya N
This is a respectful critique, but I do hope the BCCI and our media give our women cricketers the same level of recognition when they retire. The Australian PM praising her is a big deal. We need that kind of institutional support here too. Congrats to Healy on an amazing run!

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