Alyssa Healy, Australia’s skipper for the upcoming Women’s Ashes against England starting from June 22, said she will ‘put her own spin’ on the side after stepping in as the captain in the absence of Meg Lanning.
Alyssa was handed the leadership duties after Meg, their regular captain, was withdrawn from the Women’s Ashes series to be at home and manage an undisclosed medical issue. Alyssa had also captained Australia in their T20I tour of India last year, when Meg was on a break from the game.
“It’s busy but it’s a challenge I am really looking forward to. The opportunity to lead a side in an Ashes does not come around for many people. I am excited more than threatened. Meg is not here and I am acutely aware that I am not Meg.”
“I am a slightly different personality with a slightly different leadership style. It’s important I put my own spin on the group without stepping on too many toes. It’s a delicate one but I will do the best I can to get the girls in a position where they are confident enough to execute and win games for Australia,” said Alyssa to Sky Sports.
The wicketkeeper-batter also confirmed that she will not be opening the innings in the Test match at Trent Bridge to kickstart Women’s Ashes due to her added responsibilities within the team, putting Beth Mooney and Phoebe Litchfield as contenders to open the innings.
“You won’t see me opening but we will see where I end up. I did my bit for the team in the last couple of Tests but with workloads and the potential to keep for long periods, it is probably nice to slide down the order.”
The winners of the Women’s Ashes Test match earn four points, with the teams taking two points each if the game ends in a draw. Two points are awarded for victories in each of the white-ball games, with sides picking up a point apiece in case of a tie or no result.
Australia have held the multi-format women’s Ashes since 2015 and won by a 12-4 margin in the 2021/22 series at home.
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