Australia have appointed wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy as their permanent women’s captain across all three formats of the game.
Healy, 33, has succeeded 31-year-old Meg Lanning in the role having led the team on an interim basis at various stages over the past 12 months.
Lanning said she had “nothing left to achieve” when she retired from international cricket last month.
All-rounder Tahlia McGrath, 28, has been named Australia’s vice-captain.
Healy has played seven Tests, 101 one-day-internationals and 147 T20 internationals for Australia.
“I am honoured to accept the role of captain and am grateful for the opportunity to lead our team,” she said.
“I’ve really enjoyed the support of the players over the past few months and their encouragement to continue to be who I am and lead the group like I normally would from within.”
McGrath added: “It’s a privilege to have been offered the vice-captaincy and I’m excited to support Alyssa as she takes on the captaincy.
“Alyssa and I have played together for a long time, we know our respective leadership styles well and I look forward to helping her lead our group.”
‘I’ll make my own mark on the role’
Australia’s women are one of the world’s most successful sporting teams and current holders of the Women’s 50-over and T20 World Cups.
They also won the gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and retained the 2023 Ashes – the latter with Healy as stand-in skipper after Lanning missed the series for medical reasons.
Healy’s first assignment will be Australia’s one-off Test against India in Mumbai from 21-24 December followed by three ODIs and three T20s against the same opponents.
“My approach will remain consistent to what it has been previously,” she added.
“But I’ll make my own mark on the role and be sure that I’m doing the best I possibly can for this group to maintain the success that we’ve had.
“It’s an exciting time to be involved with this team, we’re seeing the emergence of incredible young talent and are challenging ourselves to continually evolve as a group.”
Healy has also skippered New South Wales in domestic one-day cricket since 2018 and was Sydney Sixers vice-captain for the first seven Women’s Big Bash League seasons.
She is the niece of former Australia men’s wicketkeeper Ian Healy.
