Australian international wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy will not participate in the 2025 Women’s Premier League due to a stress injury in her right leg. She also shared that her international cricket career is uncertain after the ODI World Cup, which will be held in India. This 35-year-old batter has been resisting injuries for a last few months and is currently working on her recovery and taking care of her body for the future challenges ahead.
Injury Struggles and Missed WPL Opportunity
Healy’s decision to miss the WPL 2025 is primarily due to the ongoing stress injury in her right leg, which has caused significant concern. She has been seriously hindered, following a series of injuries, over the past twelve months or so. The challenges came thick and fast for Healy, who broke a bone in her foot during the T20 World Cup in October last year, thus missing the final group match for her side and the subsequent semifinal against South Africa.
Apart from the WPL, Healy would also be missing the three-match T20 series against New Zealand, commencing just two days before the final of the WPL in March. Both the tournament and T20 series absence has further increased her frustration at the injuries that have dogged her of recent nature.
Struggles and Adjustments in the Women’s Ashes
Healy struggled with her fitness during the Women’s Ashes series. While she passed a fitness test and was cleared to play, Australia made changes to their lineup for the match given her limited role. Healy moved into the middle order to allow Beth Mooney to take the wicketkeeping spot, while Georgia Wareham batted at the top, and Talia McGrath, who was pushed to No. 8 in place of injured Ellyse Perry. During one of the Ashes ODIs, while she scored 34 without aggravating her injury, her absence from the WPL would be a significant consequence.
A Reflective Approach to Her Future in Cricket
Healy has so far kept quiet about her post-World Cup plans, although she does plan to play all the matches during the ODI World Cup, scheduled for October. When quizzed on life after the World Cup, she said that she had “some thoughts” about her future but did not elaborate. That has led people to wonder whether the 35-year-old will decide to stop playing international cricket after the end of the 2023-24 season, having been Australia’s mainstay for over a decade.
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Healy accepted that her current injuries had hit her hard from the physical aspect as well as from the emotional aspect. “Unfortunately, I’ve got a few months off, so I am quite disappointed with that. But at the same time, I am also happy to get a bit of time and try to get my body right,” she said regarding the time that she now faced. “Probably the last 18 months have been really frustrating for me, as every time I heal from one injury, something else seems to go wrong.”
Focus on Recovery and the ODI World Cup
Healy is keen to focus on her rehabilitation and recovery, ensuring she is fully fit for the upcoming ODI World Cup. “I’ll just take a look at a few things and see how I can get better, maybe be a little bit more disciplined in a few areas and make sure I’m ready to go, especially for that ODI World Cup,” she said.
But she acknowledged that a lack of playing time during the winter months might prove to be a burden on her and her teammates, who will have to manage their fitness and form going into the World Cup. Healy is positive about getting her body right for the World Cup and intends to be disciplined in her recovery process. She jokingly said that she was looking forward to “putting my foot in an ice bucket for a little while,” acknowledging the hard work ahead to get back into top condition. Ongoing Injury Battles and Recent Setbacks
Healy’s injury woes have been numerous and ongoing.
She was out of key matches after breaking a bone in her foot during the T20 World Cup. Then, she suffered a knee injury early in the WBBL season, which kept her sidelined for the rest of the competition and made her miss the ODI series against India. Healy returned to action in December, when she played as a specialist batter for New Zealand during the ODI series, but would return to full fitness for the first three Ashes ODIs.
Despite these setbacks, Healy remains determined to regain full fitness and contribute to Australia’s success in the upcoming World Cup. Her experience, leadership, and batting prowess will be vital to Australia’s chances in the tournament, should she be able to overcome her injury concerns in time.
A Pivotal Year for Alyssa Healy
As Alyssa Healy heads into an uncertain future beyond the ODI World Cup, her first priority is her body and coming back from a series of injuries.
As the World Cup is just around the corner, Healy will try to make a strong comeback into international cricket. However, many questions remain for the 35-year-old beyond the tournament. For now, that priority is about being fit for one last great challenge in October 2025, when Australia hopes to celebrate its first-ever World Cup win.
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