Healy to put foot on ice with World Cup defence in mind

Alyssa Healy has confirmed she is set for a stint on the sidelines as she sets her sights on overcoming her foot injuries to be fully fit to lead Australia's ODI World Cup defence in October.

Healy got through the day-night Test at the MCG without any obvious issues – no doubt helped by the fact Australia thrashed England by an innings and 122 runs inside three days.

The Test win was the emphatic full stop on 22 days of domination from Australia, who became the first side to win the multi-format Ashes 16 points to nil.

"Pretty highly," Healy said when asked where the Ashes sweep ranked among her career achievements, which include two ODI World Cups wins, six T20I World Cups and Commonwealth Games Gold.

"It probably hasn't sunk in just yet. 

"I've been a part of a lot of Ashes series that have been really hard-fought series, and I never thought that either side would win 16-nil at any point. 

"For me to sit back and probably reflect on that, this is a really special moment for our group, and I hope everyone appreciates what's just unfolded, because it's pretty amazing."

Speaking to reporters after she lifted the Ashes trophy, Healy confirmed she would not be playing in the Women's Premier League in India, where she has captained UP Warriorz for the last two seasons.

"Unfortunately for me, I've got a couple of months feet up," she said. 

"I'm pretty bummed by that, but at the same time elated to have a little bit of downtime and try and get my body right.

"But I'm looking forward to sticking my feet in an ice bucket."

Healy would also be in significant doubt for Australia's three-game T20I tour of New Zealand in late March.

The 34-year-old played in the Test with a stress reaction in her right foot, an issue the Australian captain said pre-game had been caused by the ruptures to her plantar fascia she suffered during the T20 World Cup in October.

Healy had been in a race against time to prove she could play in the Test, ultimately taking her spot in the XI as a specialist batter and handing the wicketkeeping gloves to Beth Mooney.

She had missed the Ashes T20Is with the same issue, continuing a frustrating run that saw her ruled out of the T20 World Cup semi-final in October, then sidelined for the latter part of WBBL|10 and the series against India that followed with a knee complaint.

"It's been a really frustrating probably 18 months for me ... you get yourself right, back playing, and something else goes wrong," Healy continued. 

"(I'm) going to have a look at a couple of things and how I can be better, maybe a bit more disciplined in some areas, and make sure I'm right to go in particular for that ODI World Cup. 

"It's going to be a huge load coming off not a lot of cricket for a lot of the girls in the winter, so just managing things to get right for that."

The downtime means Healy's only cricket between now and the ODI World Cup is likely to be the three one-dayers Australia will play in India immediately prior to the tournament, although she could also potentially feature in The Hundred.

Asked if she planned to continue playing at international level until the next Ashes in the United Kingdom in mid-2027, Healy gave little away beyond confirming her desire to see Australia once again lift the ODI World Cup trophy in India come November.

"I've got some thoughts in the back of my mind about what it looks like for me moving forward," she said. 

"But I think most importantly, for me when I took on this role, I wanted to get us to that ODI World Cup, and get us into really great place as a group, playing some really good cricket, and to hold that trophy at the end of it. 

"That was what I said in my four-point PowerPoint plan to present my case as to why I could be captain. 

"For me, what I've really enjoyed over the last 18 months, two years of doing the job, is what we've been able to achieve and how the group's come along such a long way. 

"For me personally, to have played a little bit of a role in helping drive that is, it's been really cool. 

"We'll wait and see what the future looks like."

Commbank Women's Ashes 2025

Australia lead the multi-format series 16-0

First ODI: Australia won by four wickets

Second ODI: Australia won by 21 runs

Third ODI: Australia won by 86 runs

First T20I: Australia won by 57 runs

Second T20I: Australia won by six runs (DLS Method)

Third T20I: Australia won by 72 runs

Australia squad (ODI/T20Is): Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris+, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath (vc), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

England squad (ODI/T20Is): Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross*, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson+, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath+, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp+, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Linsey Smith+, Danni Wyatt-Hodge

* ODIs only; + T20Is only

Day-night Test: Australia won by an innings and 122 runs

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

England Test squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge

The rivalry resumes with a blockbuster series in Australia until Feb 2. Learn about the remarkable 90-year history at the Women's Ashes Hub