Australia captain Alyssa Healy to retire after upcoming India series

Published January 13, 2026
Australia captain Alyssa Healy celebrates after her hundred against India in their Women’s World Cup clash in Visakhapatnam on October 12. — ICC/File
Australia captain Alyssa Healy celebrates after her hundred against India in their Women’s World Cup clash in Visakhapatnam on October 12. — ICC/File

Alyssa Healy, a mainstay of Australia’s dominant women’s cricket team for 15 years and latterly its captain, has announced that she will retire from the game after the upcoming multi-format series against India.

The 35-year-old wicketkeeper-batter was part of two one-day international World Cup triumphs and six successful T20 World Cup campaigns before taking over as skipper after the retirement of Meg Lanning in late 2023.

“It’s with mixed emotions that the upcoming India series will be my last for Australia,” she said in a statement on Tuesday.

“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.

“I’ll genuinely miss my teammates, singing the team song and walking out to open the batting for Australia.”

Healy made her Australia debut in 2010 and scored 3,563 runs with seven centuries in one-day internationals and 3,054 with a single hundred in Twenty20s for her country, as well as making 275 dismissals behind the stumps.

“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,” said Cricket Australia Chief Executive Todd Greenberg.

As a mark of her status in Australia, Healy was never defined by her relationship with her uncle, Australia wicketkeeping great Ian, nor her husband, test paceman Mitchell Starc.

She had already announced her retirement from T20 internationals and will play her last matches for Australia in three ODIs and a single test against India in February and March.

Women’s cricket has come on in leaps and bounds during Healy’s career but, despite having missed only two for Australia since her debut in January 2011, her final match will be only her 11th test.

Opinion

Editorial

Removing subsidies
Updated 09 May, 2026

Removing subsidies

The government no longer has the budgetary space to continue carrying hundreds of billions of rupees in untargeted subsidies while the power sector itself remains trapped in circular debt, inefficiencies, theft and under-recovery.
Scarred at home
09 May, 2026

Scarred at home

WHEN homes turn violent towards children, the psychosocial damage is lifelong. In Pakistan, parental violence is...
Zionist zealotry
09 May, 2026

Zionist zealotry

BOTH the Israeli military and far-right citizens of the Zionist state have been involved in appalling hate crimes...
Shifting climate tone
Updated 08 May, 2026

Shifting climate tone

Our financial system is geared towards short-term, risk-averse lending, while climate adaptation and green infrastructure require patient, long-term capital.
Honour and impunity
08 May, 2026

Honour and impunity

THE Sindh Assembly’s discussion on karo-kari this week reminds us of the enduring nature of ‘honour’ killings...
No real change
08 May, 2026

No real change

THE Indian sports ministry’s move to allow Pakistani players and teams to participate in multilateral events ...