In a competition for attention between Australia’s first cricketing couple, Alyssa Healy has implored fans to watch the historic women’s Ashes Test at the MCG rather than her husband’s men’s Test in Sri Lanka.
This summer’s women’s Ashes starts with ODI and T20 matches next month, and ends with the pink-ball battle in Melbourne, just as the men’s team travels to Sri Lanka for a two-Test series.
Healy – who is married to Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc – said cricket fans are spoiled for choice but the historic day-night Test at the MCG was a rare opportunity.
“Come and watch us, it’s way more exciting,” Healy said outside the ground for the announcement of the women’s white ball squad. “Playing a Test series will be great for the boys, but [this is] a day-night Test match at the MCG.”
The 13-player squad includes veterans Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Ashleigh Gardner and vice-captain Tahlia McGrath alongside emerging stars Annabel Sutherland, Phoebe Litchfield and Georgia Voll. Powerful ball-striker Grace Harris will join the team for the three T20 matches which follow the three-match ODI component.
Healy plans to play wicketkeeper in the series despite a troublesome knee, while all-rounder Sophie Molineux is unavailable due to surgery on her own knee.
The captain said naming the white-ball team now allows the players to prioritise those matches, while providing flexibility for the Test which – under the points system used in the series – could be decisive.
“The way we’ve shaped up in Test cricket over the last couple of seasons, it’s looked a little bit different to what we’ve done in the white-ball format, so there is some reasoning as to why that Test squad hasn’t been announced,” she said.
“We’ll probably look at that over the next few weeks to see where all the bowlers in the domestic cricket are at and their loads, and how they’re going to prepare for a Test match.”
Australia won the opening Test in last year’s Ashes in England and retained the trophy, despite losing two ODIs and two T20s.
“We put a lot of time and effort into that preparation and got the result we wanted in that Test match, and probably just assumed that what we were going to do in the white-ball [matches] was going to be enough, not knowing what England were going to come out and throw at us,” Healy said.
The MCG Test will feature performances by G-Flip and Sampa the Great on the first two days, promising an atmosphere similar to the T20 World Cup final in 2020 when Katy Perry entertained the 86,174 fans after the home side’s victory.
Healy joked some of the players might be waiting around after play for selfies, “but first and foremost, we’re here for the cricket that’s going to be a tough tussle”.
The first ODI is on 12 January at North Sydney Oval. The day-night Test at the MCG starts on 30 January.
Australia ODI and T20I squad: Alyssa Healy (capt), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham.
