Alyssa Healy hopes to return to full fitness in time for the historic Women’s Ashes | Australia women’s cricket team

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

This summer’s women’s Ashes kicks off with ODIs and T20s next month and ends with the pink-ball match in Melbourne, just as the men’s team travel to Sri Lanka for a two-Test series.

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

“Come and see us, it’s a lot more exciting,” Healy said outside the ground at the announcement of the women’s white ball squad. “Playing a Test series will be great for the boys but (this is) a day-night Test match at the MCG.”

The 13-player squad includes veterans Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Ashleigh Gardner and vice-captain Tahlia McGrath alongside emerging stars Annabel Sutherland, Phoebe Litchfield and Georgia Voll. Power ball striker Grace Harris will join the team for the three T20 matches that follow the three-match ODI component.

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

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

“The way we’ve shaped up in Test cricket over the last couple of seasons has looked a bit different to what we’ve done in the white-ball format, so there’s a reason why that Test squad hasn’t been announced,” she said.

“We will probably look at it over the next few weeks to see where all the bowlers in domestic cricket are and their workloads and how they will prepare for a Test match.”

Australia won the opening Test of 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 that preparation and got the result we wanted in that Test match and probably just assumed that what we were going to do in the white ball (matches) would be enough, not knowing. what England would come out and throw at us,” said Healy.

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

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

The first ODI is on January 12 at North Sydney Oval. The day-night Test at the MCG starts on January 30.

Australia’s ODI and T20I Squad: Alyssa Healy (capt), 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.