BRING ON THE CRITICS

Healy welcomes scrutiny, less fluff

STOP with the praise and start with the criticism.

Compliments alone has never been a sign you’ve cracked the big time in sport and, deep down, Australian wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy knew it all along.

Being criticised, scrutinised, and analysed to the nth degree, feeling the stinging thud of a brickbat landing among the bouquets, is the true mark people are taking you seriously.

And the women’s game is finally earning the credit – and criticism – it deserves.

“For a while all of the media were so positive about us and wanted to pump us up. And while it felt good, it was all a bit fluffy,’’ said Australian cricket star Healy, who welcomes the increased scrutiny a profile brings.

Australia’s women’s cricket team accept the tone has changed from good-natured “aren’t you wonderful’’ support to more forensic analysis, praise and criticism that comes with being professionally paid.

They can even pinpoint the precise moment it happened.

“You could tell it changed early in the T20 World Cup rounds in Australia last season,’’ opener Beth Mooney said. “We lost to India and suddenly team selections and the way we were playing was under scrutiny.

“We had never really had that before. But it really helped us grow as a team. I welcomed it.’’

The team’s stunning record, including a world record 24 match ODI winning streak, has made them to women’s cricket what the All Blacks are to rugby union – so successful that their losses often create more publicity than their wins.

Healy was the first player to feel the heat when she had a form slump before the start of last year’s Cup, which Australia famously won by beating India before more than 86,000 fans at the MCG.

“There was a genuine discussion about whether I should open the batting because I wasn’t making runs and I loved the debate because it showed people were interested,’’ Healy said. “There were some fair points made.

“I am normally really positive about my form and feel it’s only one innings away, but I remember reading this one story pointing out the reasons why I should drop down the order and thinking, ‘Maybe, I shouldn’t be opening’.

“We feel people are starting to take your sport seriously when they are critiquing what you are doing.”

With Fox Cricket turning its attention to seven international matches between Australia and India, keeping great Adam Gilchrist has noted the transition in the commentary box, where the women’s game was often compared to the men’s.

“I don’t think anyone meant to be demeaning, but they felt that surprise. Now they are just assessed on their stand-alone quality,” Gilchrist said.