Australian captain Alyssa Healy almost fit again ahead of ‘much more exciting’ Ashes | Australian women’s cricket team

In a competition for attention between Australia’s premier cricket couple, Alyssa Healy has asked fans to watch the historic women’s Ashes Test at the MCG rather than her husband’s men’s Test in Sri Lanka.

This summer’s women’s Ashes begins next month with ODI and T20 matches and ends with the pink-ball clash in Melbourne, just as the men’s team travels to Sri Lanka for a two-Test series.

Healy – who is married to Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc – said cricket fans were spoiled for choice but the historic day-night Test at the MCG was a rare occasion.

“Come and watch us, it’s much more exciting,” Healy said before the pitch to announce the White women’s team. “Playing a Test series will be great for the boys but (this is) a day-night Test match at the MCG.”

The 13-man squad includes veterans Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Ashleigh Gardner and vice-captain Tahlia McGrath, as well as rising stars Annabel Sutherland, Phoebe Litchfield and Georgia Voll. Powerful ball striker Grace Harris will join the team for the three T20 matches following the three-match ODI component.

Healy plans to play wicketkeeper in the series despite a knee complaint, while all-rounder Sophie Molineux is unavailable due to surgery on her own knee.

The captain said naming the white-ball team now allows players to prioritize those games while providing flexibility for the Test, which – under the scoring system used in the series – could be crucial.

“The way we have developed in Test cricket over the last few seasons has looked a little different to what we have done in the white-ball format. So there are a few reasons why this Test squad was so bad. “It hasn’t been announced yet,” she said.

“We will probably be looking at this over the next few weeks to see where all the bowlers are in domestic cricket, how good they are and how they will prepare for a Test match.”

Australia won the opening Test in last year’s Ashes in England and retained the trophy despite losing two ODIs and two T20s.

“We put a lot of time and effort into this preparation and got the result we wanted in this Test match and probably just assumed that what we would do in the white-ball games would be enough without it “Knowing what England would come out and throw at us,” Healy said.

The MCG Test will feature performances from G-Flip and Sampa the Great on the first two days, promising a similar atmosphere to the T20 World Cup final in 2020, when Katy Perry welcomed the 86,174 fans following the home team’s win entertained.

Healy joked that some of the players might be waiting for selfies after the game, “but first and foremost we’re here for the cricket, which is going to be a tough fight.”

The first ODI will take place on January 12 at North Sydney Oval. The day-night Test at the MCG begins on January 30.

Australian ODI and T20I squad: Alyssa Healy (Captain), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham.