Healy’s foot injury may force some rest before Ashes

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Healy’s foot injury may force some rest before Ashes

Alyssa Healy has conceded she may need to be managed through the summer, sitting out some games in order to be fit to captain Australia through the Ashes.

Healy made her return from a foot injury in Sydney Sixers’ WBBL loss to Melbourne Stars on Friday, scoring only four with the bat but getting through unscathed.

The foot injury that ruled Healy out of Australia’s Twenty20 World Cup semi-final loss to South ******* last month was a recurrence of one first suffered in June.

It came ahead of Australia’s busiest summer in some time.

A three-match ODI series against India awaits after this month’s WBBL, before Australia tour New Zealand for three more 50-over games before Christmas.

The home Ashes then follows from January 12, with three ODIs, three T20s and an MCG Test in the multi-format series.

And while Healy is adamant she wants to play every game possible, the 34-year-old is realistic about the fact she is now likely to face some load management.

“There’s a higher power sitting above that are quite vocal in what can and can’t happen, which I completely understand,” Healy said.

“Being skipper as well is a fairly big role for me. I want to be available for as much of the summer as I can.

“I’ve hardly played a game for the Sixers for the past two seasons, and it’s a place I really enjoy playing cricket.

“I want to be available for every game that I possibly can, but the reality is that might not be the case.

“It’s going to be managing the pain, function and what I can and can’t do (all summer). How I pull up from games is going to be really important as well.”

Healy’s injury comes at a crucial time for the *********** team.

The World Cup exit has prompted calls from the likes of no-longer-selected spinner Amanda-***** Wellington for a shake up to the national team with new faces.

Healy is well aware some changing of the guard does loom, with veteran seamer Megan Schutt recently indicating she could retire after next September’s’ ODI World Cup in India.

“If you look at international cricket at the moment … and it feels like a bit of a changing of the guard at the moment,” Healy said.

“There are so many young players coming out and showing everyone how good they are, and that’s awesome.

“Naturally that’s going to filter into the *********** environment at some point as well.

“The next T20 World Cup is a couple of years away and there are a lot of us well over the age of 30.

“What that looks like, I’m not too sure. I think the WBBL is a great breeding ground for the next group of *********** players to say ‘I’m ready’.”

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