Alyssa Healy Speaks Her Heart Out In Final Post-Match Presentation After Retirement

Alyssa Healy (Source: Screengrab/X)

The former Australia Women's skipper, Alyssa Healy, has called time on her illustrious 16-year-long international career. Alyssa Healy’s career ended with Australia’s emphatic 10-wicket win against India Women in the one-off pink-ball Test.

Before her last international appearance, Healy played her last white-ball game in the third and final ODI against India Women. She was also given a special guard of honour by the Indian players, a gesture of respect for the Aussie legend.

After Australia’s win against India in Healy’s last Test, the retiring skipper was lifted on the shoulders by her teammates, Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner. Meanwhile, Alyssa Healy spoke her heart out during the last post-match presentation after her retirement.

“That didn't need to be a moment” - Alyssa Healy on opportunity to bat for one last time

In her emotional post-match presentation, Healy revealed that the head coach, Shelley Nitschke, had offered to open the innings for Australia Women in their 28-run chase against India Women. But it was Healy herself who turned down the offer.

She said that she wanted to spend a bit of time alone, soaking up the final moments of her international career.

“I was in the change room, just soaking it all in and wanting to take my spikes off, but I knew if I took my spikes off, I might have to put them back on and pad up,” Healy told the journalists during the post-match conversation at the WACA on Sunday.

“So I was just hanging around hoping to not have to bat and when there was one run to get, I was able to take everything off and just enjoy that moment. It was nice to not (have it) be about me. That didn't need to be a moment today,” she added later, talking about the potential opportunity to bat in her last international innings.

Healy's legendary legacy in big tournaments for Australia

In her glorious international career spanning 16 years, Healy represented Australia across 11 Women’s Tests, 126 Women’s ODIs and 162 Women’s T20Is. In this span, she played a central role in Australia's wins in marquee international tournaments, like the Women’s T20 World Cup and the Women’s ODI World Cup.

Healy finished her T20I career as the leading run-scorer for Australia in the Women’s T20 World Cup history. In her T20 World Cup career, Alyssa Healy scored 1008 runs in 39 innings at an average of 28.8, hitting seven half-centuries.

Notably, she has also been a part of Australia’s six T20 World Cup-winning sides in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020, and 2023. Besides that, Healy also featured for Australia Women in their two Women’s ODI World Cup-winning campaigns in 2013 and 2022.

She finished her ODI World Cup career as the fourth leading run-scorer for Australia in the tournament’s history. The 35-year-old scored 906 runs in 19 World Cup innings at an outstanding average of 56.62, hitting four centuries and three half-centuries.

Sophie Molineux to take over captaincy baton from Healy

Earlier, around the end of January 2026, Cricket Australia named the spin-bowling all-rounder Sophie Molineux as Alyssa Healy’s successor. Now, the 28-year-old all-rounder will lead Australia across all formats of the game. Her first stint will be during the Australia Women’s tour of the Caribbean for the ODIs and Tests.

Since her international debut in March 2018, Molineux has played three Tests for Australia Women, alongside featuring in 18 ODIs and 41 T20Is. The senior all-rounders, Tahlia McGrath and Ashleigh Gardner, will be there in the role of Molineux’s deputies as co-vice-captains.