'Emotional' Healy to tackle captaincy challenge her way

New skipper Alyssa Healy has vowed to lead Australia her way during the Ashes series, declaring herself a "very different style" of captain to Meg Lanning.  

Healy has been thrust into the main role for the upcoming tour of the United Kingdom after it was announced that Lanning would miss the series to deal with a "medical issue" at home.  

After a few "highly emotional" days, Healy says the side is still coming to terms with the news that her long-time captain won't be accompanying them to England.  

"My heart really hurts for Meg and what she's going through," Healy told cricket.com.au. 

"That side of it is what we're grappling with.  

"But on the flip side, it's also switching into gear to know that you're captaining in an Ashes series and that really excites me. I'm highly emotional, but at the same time, excited nonetheless, for the next few months." 

Having made her Australian captaincy debut in India late last year, Healy will make her Test captaincy debut at Trent Bridge on June 22 in the Ashes opener against England.  

She will become Australia's 20th female Test captain and while the prospect of wearing the green Test captaincy blazer does excite her, she's not completely enamoured with the role. 

"I wouldn't say I love doing it," Healy admitted. "I enjoy it. I love being vice-captain. It's not a cushy role, don't get me wrong. But being a wicketkeeper, you're involved in every aspect of the game, and you get a great feel for the game. 

"It's really easy to turn to Meg and go, 'Oh, what about this?' or 'what do you think about this?'  

"Now having to do all that yourself and knowing that you're making the final decision is a little uncomfortable. But it's a challenge and one that I really do enjoy, and hopefully can have some success at it."  

Healy got her first opportunity to lead her country during Australia's tour of India in December when Lanning was absent on a mental health break.  

It was a successful first stint in charge, with the Aussies winning four of the five T20Is, although Healy missed the final match with a calf complaint.  

And while that experience looked like an isolated occurrence at the time, she believes it will end up benefiting both her and the playing group immensely.  

"I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and I'm really lucky that (India tour) happened to give me an opportunity to get a taste of it and to also leave a little bit of a mark on the group," Healy said.  

"I'm obviously very different to Meg, I'm not her, I'm a very different style of leader as well.  

"So for the group to get a little taste of that before heading into what is a really big Ashes series is probably really important for everyone. 

"Meg is really good at leading from the front and really pulling everyone along with her.  

"I tend to lead from within and really give everyone the confidence that they are good enough, and what they're bringing is going to do the job. And that's something I really enjoy doing." 

Across her T20 career, Healy's batting statistics improve considerably when she's the designated captain. 

From 248 matches as non-captain, Healy averages 25.83 with a strike rate of 132.08. Those figures jump considerably in her 21 matches as captain, where her average is 33.84 and her strike rate is 149.88.

And whether or not her Test stats receive the same positive bump, both her coach Shelley Nitschke and leg-spinner Georgia Wareham believe in her captaincy potential. 

"The fact that she captained the team in India last year and did a fantastic job, the girls got around her and they played some really good cricket, she should take a lot of confidence out of that," Nitschke told reporters on Monday. 

Added Wareham: "Midge has always been a really vocal leader in the group, regardless of if she's got the 'c' beside her name or not. It's going to be really exciting for the group." 

CommBank Ashes Tour of the UK 2023

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

Test: June 22-26 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 11am local (7pm AEST)

First T20I: July 1 at Edgbaston, Birmingham, 6.35pm (3.35am July 2 AEST)

Second T20I: July 5 at The Oval, London, 6.35pm (3.35am July 6 AEST)

Third T20I: July 8 at Lord’s, London, 6.35pm (3.35am July 9 AEST)

First ODI: July 12 at The County Ground, Bristol, 1pm (10pm AEST)

Second ODI: July 16 at The Rose Bowl, Southampton, 11am (7pm AEST)

Third ODI: July 18 at The County Ground, Taunton, 1pm (10pm AEST)