Australia captain nominates hardest teams to beat at World Cup
Alyssa Healy expects England and India to prove hard to conquer for Australia at the Women's World Cup this year.
Australia captain Alyssa Healy has predicted India and England as the two teams her side will find the hardest to topple at this year's ICC Women's Cricket World Cup.
Healy spoke to reporters at a sponsorship event for Cricket Australia in Sydney on Thursday and the experienced keeper revealed everything was on target for the Aussies as they try and become the first side to defend the Women's 50-over World Cup title in 37 years.
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Australia won back-to-back World Cups in 1982 and 1988 under former skipper Sharon Tredrea and the seven-time champions will head into this year's event in India and Sri Lanka as one of the favourites to hold aloft the famous trophy.
But Healy is taking nothing for granted for her No.1 ranked ODI side in the world and has nominated their closest rivals in the rankings in England (second) and India (third) as potential stumbling blocks for the Aussies at the eight-team tournament that commences on September 30.
"I wouldn't write England off just yet, I think they will find a groove under Lottie (Charlotte Edwards)," Healy said.
"But I think the way that India are playing, at home in those conditions, they are going to be really tough to beat."
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Healy is inching closer to making her comeback from the foot injury she picked up at last year's ICC Women's T20 World Cup and is eyeing off Australia A's upcoming series at home against India A as her chance to return to competitive action.
The 35-year-old hasn't played for Australia since she featured as a batter only in the one-off Test against England at the MCG in February and the most recent time she kept wickets was an ODI against the same side in January at the start of the year.
Healy plans to make her comeback to keeping during the ODI portion of the upcoming series with India A and has tweaked her technique behind the stumps slightly to help her ailing body.
"I haven't actually kept in a competitive game since January and that's given me a little bit of time to tinker with a few things and make it a little bit easier on my body," Healy said.
"We've been taught how to wicketkeep a certain way in this country for an extended period of time, and at the end of the day it's not overly efficient on our bodies and doing it at 35, it's not ideal.
"We've just been looking at ways to make it a little bit easier for my aging joints and trying to keep things moving the way they should.
"Without getting overly technical, (I've just adjusted) where I'm starting from, more than anything else.
"You won't notice anything different, just not getting as low as what I used to, to hopefully help the knee, help the foot and keep me out there a little bit longer."
The schedule for the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 was announced in June, where eight teams will battle it out in India and Sri Lanka from 30 September to 2 November.