Lanning: 'Every bowler in the world is nervous about bowling to Healy'

Healy had a stellar 2019 and won the top awards for both ODIs and T20Is in the Australian Cricket Awards earlier this week. However, her form has dwindled this year – she scored just 14 runs in five matches during the tri-series against India and England, returning with a sequence of 9, 1, 0, 1 and 4.

Lanning, however, believes that Healy will come good at the World Cup next month. “It hasn't been ideal for Midge [Healy], but I along with the rest of the team are half expecting her to come out and whack it around in the first World Cup game," Lanning said.

“I'm sure every bowler in the world is nervous about bowling to her because she's definitely due. She's fine, you go through patches in your career where you don't make runs, and she takes the game on for us, so she's going to take risks and sometimes that doesn't come off.

“I've got full confidence she'll play a big role for us in the World Cup and if it's not her day, then it's got to be someone else's, we can't rely on one player to win it for us. Midge'll come around really quickly, she's got a good attitude and she's 'keeping really well, which is great for the side, so we're not too worried.”

Healy has a chance to shake off the rust during Australia’s two warm-up games ahead of the World Cup, against West Indies in Brisbane and South Africa in Adelaide.

They begin their campaign against India on 21 February at the Sydney Showgrounds.