Healy’s on front foot
Cup star to try out some new batting moves on Kiwis
OPENER Alyssa Healy wants to unveil a new bag of tricks when the world champion Aussies finally get to strut their stuff again six months after their epic MCG win.
The Aussies will take on New Zealand in six white-ball games, all in Brisbane, starting on Saturday, the first international cricket in Australia since the COVID-19 shutdown.
The matches come amid ongoing talks between Cricket Australia and Channel 7 after the broadcaster threatened to walk away from a deal which has four years to run.
Healy refused to get involved in that stoush but with all tickets sold out for the three T20 games at Allan Border field, which will have a reduced capacity when spectators follow strict protocols, the influence of the World Cup win in March lives on.
“And I don’t think any of my family even bought those tickets. Usually there are 50-odd Healys on the hill,” Healy said on Tuesday.
“It would have been amazing to have another series right after the
World Cup but … it’s almost like we’re kicking off right where we left off.”
Superstar all-rounder Ellyse Perry could make her return from a serious hamstring injury which required surgery and meant she missed the World Cup final triumph over India.
“It was a surprise to most of us that she was here (in Brisbane) knowing the severity of the injury and seeing the whopping scar she’s got on her hamstring,” Healy said.
The last remaining members of the Australian squad flew this week to Brisbane, where the Kiwis had to serve 14 days in quarantine on arrival.
Healy, player of the match in the World Cup final for her 75 from 39 balls in front of 86,174 fans at the MCG, has used the time between games to take her batting to another level.
“I did sit down after celebrating for a month with my batting coach and discussed a few things to work on,” she said. “So you might see some new, different things in this series.
“I don’t want to give away too many secrets to the Kiwis, but I’ve been preparing for a few things in particular … so stay tuned.”