The stage is set for an exciting battle as Australia Women face England Women in the Ashes series starting on January 12, 2025. The series begins with three ODIs, followed by three T20Is, and a one-off Test. Ahead of this much-anticipated contest, Australian skipper Alyssa Healy shared her thoughts during a media interaction. She spoke about the team’s preparation, challenges, expectations, team dynamics, individual performances, and the growth of women’s cricket.
While acknowledging the importance of rest before the high-stakes Ashes, Healy expressed: “Yeah, actually I think the group as a whole are probably ready for a little bit of a break to go home, see family, spend some Christmas time at home, come to the Boxing Day Test. But yeah, I feel like the squad is in such a great place to really attack this, Ashes.”
Healy praised the contributions of younger players and highlighted the depth in Australian cricket: “Every time someone has come in to take my spot, they have made runs. It has been amazing, and just to see the depth in Australian cricket is there. Young players, in particular, step up and are ready to go at international level, which is exactly why we invest in our domestic cricket here in Australia.”
She also commended Megan Schutt’s longevity and adaptability: “She does keep doing it, and just when you think that as an opposition you have got one over her, she re-evolves again and finds something new to deliver. She is an amazing team member first and foremost but a performer for our side.”
Healy reflected on lessons learned from previous Ashes series and identified areas for improvement, particularly in T20 cricket: “I think we learned a lot of lessons from that last series and kind of evolved the way that we have played knowing how teams are going to come at us moving forward. We were only four down at the innings break there in the World Cup semi-final with not enough runs on the board. We have had some really positive conversations about how we want to take our T20 cricket moving forward, remaining that fearless approach.”