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Alyssa Healy announcement delights cricket fans ahead of World Cup

The Aussie great is ready to go for the women's World Cup.

Alyssa Healy (pictured) holding the World Cup trophy.
Alyssa Healy (pictured) is set to return for the T20 World Cup after recovering from a calf injury. (Getty Images)

Aussie cricket great Alyssa Healy has confirmed she will take part in the women's World Cup after recovering in time from a calf injury. Healy has not played cricket since December 17, when she tweaked her calf on the T20I tour of India.

The lay-off has been the most significant of her career, which put her in doubt for Australia's title defence at the T20 World Cup. While she was named in Australia's most recent Tour, she didn't take to the field.

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This put her participation in doubt for the T20 World Cup. However, Healy told reporters that she would be available for the entire tournament if called upon.

And the tenacious batter said she has been determined to get back onto the field while she recovered from the frustrating calf injury. "I've absolutely hated every minute," she said of her lay-off.

"I hated watching the cricket on the TV; I couldn't be a part of any of the cricket. It's a lesson for me to make sure I'm looking after myself moving forward if I want to be a part of stuff."

At the Australian Cricket Awards, Healy joked that she had been doing six weeks of calf raises to be ready for the event, before admitting she was on the plane to South Africa the next morning. Healy finished just behind Beth Mooney for the women's One Day International player of the year.

Mitchell Starc (pictured left) and Alyssa Healy (pictured right) arrive ahead of the 2023 Australian Cricket Awards.
Mitchell Starc (pictured left) and Alyssa Healy (pictured right) were at the 2023 Australian Cricket Awards. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images) (Brendon Thorne via Getty Images)

Alyssa Healy set for Women's Premier League auction

In exciting news for women's cricket and for Healy, the auction for India's inaugural Women's Premier League will take place during the World Cup. And Healy admitted she wasted no time nominating herself knowing she would be ready for the event.

"I registered basically the day after that news came out just to make sure I got in there on time," she said. "I'd love to be a part of it. If I'm not, so be it, (but) I just think the whole experience is going to be amazing for the players to get to go and be a part of that.

"I sat there at Chinnaswamy Stadium for the first-ever men's IPL game so the opportunity to sit at the first women's one would be a really nice moment." Fans were excited to see Healy ready for the World Cup and the upcoming auction.

The IPL is the most lucrative T20 tournament in the world and with millions of dollars of broadcast money already committed to its new off-shoot, women's players are set for unprecedented financial windfall. Australian sensation Ellyse Perry said it was a landmark moment for women's sport.

"It sets us on the precipice of this whole new era for the game," Perry said. "It's going to be really exciting."

with AAP

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