By Caroline Chepkorir

Sydney Sixers have announced that Australian captain Alyssa Healy has been ruled out of the ongoing Women’s Big Bash League 2024 match due to a left knee injury. He had just played just four games for the Sydney Sixers. Australia’s skipper might miss the upcoming ODI series against India.

In the 2024 T20 World Cup, she suffered a leg injury. The Australian captain is expected to be assessed in the next two weeks. During the ICC T20 World Cup, Tahlia McGrath stood in for Alyssa Healy. However, Frankie Nicklin has been selected as Healy’s replacement in the Sixers’ announced 13-man squad against Sydney Thunder at Drummoyne Oval. The other members of the team are Ellyse Perry (c), Hollie Armitage, Caoimhe Bray, Maitlan Brown, Sarah Bryce, Mathilda Carmichael, Lauren Cheatle, Ashleigh Gardner, Elsa Hunter, Amelia Kerr, Kate Pelle and Courtney Sippel.

The 34-year-old made her ODI debut on February 10 against New Zealand. She played 110 matches in the 50-over format and scored 3011 runs at a strike rate of 97.98. In T20Is, Healy played 162 matches and scored 3054 runs at a strike rate of 129.79.

Apart from Healy, the Sydney Sixers will be without England international Sophie Ecclestone as she returns to the national team ahead of their multi-format tour of South Africa, and she will not be part of the tour. With three wins from seven matches, the Sixers are now sixth on the Women’s Big Bash League points table and need three more wins to advance to the knockout stage.

Australia’s three-match home ODI series against India will be followed by the New Zealand ODI. They will later return home to face England in the multi-format Ashes series scheduled for January 12 and Healy is expected to feature.

“She will continue her rehabilitation over the next two weeks under the care of CNSW and CA medical staff,” the Sydney Sixers said in a statement as they announced the 13-man squad.

“There are higher powers that are quite vocal in what can and cannot happen, which I fully understand. Being a captain is also quite an important role for me. I want to be available as much as possible during the summer,” the wicketkeeper-batter said earlier this month.

“I’ve hardly played a game for the Sixers in the last two seasons and it’s a place I really enjoy playing cricket. I want to be available for every game possible, but the reality is that may not be the case. It’s going to be managing pain, function and what I can and can’t do all summer, too, which will be really important,” she added.