Australia captain Alyssa Healy will miss the upcoming T20I tour of New Zealand due to a foot injury, leading to the inclusion of wicketkeeper Nicole Faltum in the squad. Tahlia McGrath will captain the team with Ashleigh Gardner as her deputy, while Beth Mooney will keep wicket. Healy’s prolonged injury issues raise concerns, but chief selector Shawn Flegler assures her readiness for the ODI World Cup. Allrounder Sophie Molineux also remains sidelined with a knee injury. The T20 series against New Zealand is vital for team preparations ahead of the next T20 World Cup, with Australia motivated after their recent Ashes victory.
“We believe Nic is slightly ahead of the others, especially for T20 format,” stated Shawn Flegler, Australia’s chief selector, during a press conference. “It is quite unlikely that she will play. Naturally, Beth will handle the wicket-keeping duties for this tour, and she performed exceptionally well during the Ashes when she stepped in for Alyssa.
“We viewed this as an excellent opportunity for Nicole to join the group, train with them, and experience the environment firsthand.”
Healy, who will turn 35 in March, was not included in the squad due to a stress fracture in her right foot. She had previously missed the T20I segment of the Women’s Ashes and needed to demonstrate her fitness for the MCG Test, where she played as a specialist middle-order batter.
During the T20 World Cup last October, Healy had a ruptured plantar fascia, which caused her to miss Australia’s final group match as well as the semi-final against South Africa. Additionally, she faced a knee injury early in the WBBL, resulting in her missing the remainder of the season and the following ODI series against India.
Healy had to withdraw from the ongoing Women’s Premier League, but a return to the field might happen during the women’s Hundred ahead of an ODI series in India in September, which leads directly into the World Cup.
“I have no doubts that she will be ready for the World Cup,” Flegler confirmed. “She has had a challenging couple of years with various injuries related to her foot… including some Achilles issues.
“We are certainly not looking to rush her recovery. From what I understand, there’s no concern that she’ll miss out on the World Cup.”
“When she rejoined the team, her contributions across all formats were invaluable. We’re not going to push her back too soon. It’s a complex injury, but we want to ensure she’s ready for September.”
Australia will approach the T20 series against New Zealand with high morale following their historic 16-0 Ashes victory. Facing the reigning world champions on their home ground should further motivate Australia, especially with rare matches in the format leading up to next year’s T20 World Cup in England.
“We were pretty disappointed at how the T20 World Cup concluded for us, and New Zealand excelled in clinching that title,” Flegler noted. “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to compete against them. There’s always a great rivalry with New Zealand, and I’m sure they’ll be eager to perform against us.
“With limited T20 matches on the road to the next T20 World Cup, every engagement is crucial for testing different combinations and helping players acclimate to their positions.”
Australia squad for New Zealand tour
Darcie Brown, Nicole Faltum, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath (capt), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham