Australia captain Alyssa Healy has announced her shock retirement from international cricket, confirming that the upcoming multi-format home series against India will mark the end of her illustrious 16-year career.
The 35-year-old made the revelation on the Willow Talk podcast, explaining that she has been contemplating retirement for several months, feeling her competitive edge gradually fade after years at the top level. “The India series will be my last for Australia,” Healy said, adding that while she remains passionate about the game, the drive that fueled her career is not as strong as before.
Reflecting on the mental and physical demands of elite cricket, she noted that the past few seasons had been particularly draining, with injuries and the constant grind taking their toll.
Healy retires after nearly 300 international matches, scoring over 7,000 runs and effecting 275 dismissals behind the stumps since her debut in 2010. She served as vice-captain under Meg Lanning for much of her career before taking over as captain in 2023, leading Australia to a historic 16-0 whitewash of England.
Her achievements include eight ICC World Cup victories, the highest individual score in a World Cup final, and the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in women’s T20Is. She has also won the Belinda Clark Award, been twice named ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year, and contributed to Australia’s 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medal.
Healy’s farewell match is scheduled to be the one-off Test against India in Perth from March 6 to 9. Her retirement follows a surprising snub at the 2026 Women’s Premier League auction, where she went unsold despite expectations, having previously played for UP Warriorz before missing the 2025 season due to injury.
After 15 years as a pillar of Australian women’s cricket, Alyssa Healy steps away as one of the sport’s most influential wicketkeeper-batters.
