Australia Women’s captain Alyssa Healy has announced her decision to retire from her competitive cricketing career. The retirement will come into effect after the multi-format series scheduled against India Women from February to March 2026.
She won’t be part of the T20I squad but will play the ODIs. This will be followed by her 11th Test appearance in the day-night encounter from 6 to 9 March. She will end her career as one of the successful players in the Australian Women’s team after Meg Lanning, with eight World Cup Titles.
Speaking on the Willow Talk podcast, Healy shared the reason behind the retirement and was forced to make the decision. She said, “It’s been a long time coming. 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,” she added.
Healy last featured in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) 2025 as part of the Sydney Sixers team. She had a much slower run that season, amassing only 119 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 119.00.
As part of the Australia Women’s team, Healy last featured in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, finishing in the sixth rank with a total of 299 runs in five matches played at a strike rate of 125.10.
Healy will miss out on the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to begin on June 12. In that case, the Australian Women’s team has to find a replacement for the captain and determine who will be taking the leadership role after Healy’s retirement. The Australian Women will play their first match on June 13 in Manchester against South Africa.
Expressing her disappointment at missing the 2026 T20 Women’s World Cup, Healy is concerned about the sudden changes that will be made in the team for the tournament.
“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 said.
