Women's World Cup 2025, Match 23: Why is Alyssa Healy not playing against England?

Full-time Australian skipper Alyssa Healydid not featuring in Match 23 of the Women's World Cup 2025 against England due to a minor calf strain sustained during a training session on Saturday, October 18. Heading into the ongoing clash, Australia and England remain the only unbeaten sides in the current installment of the mega event so far.

It is yet to be determined when Healy will be fully fit. All-rounder Tahlia McGrath is serving as skipper for the time being. Earlier, Cricket Australia confirmed

that Healy's progress is being monitored closely and she could be expected to be fit ahead of Australia's final group-stage clash against South Africa.

Healy was not in the best of form with the bat while coming into the tournament. as she had scores of 27, 9 and 30 in the ODI series against India. Her start in the World Cup was also quiet as she could score only 19 and 20 in her first two games, against New Zealand and Pakistan, respectively. However, she roared back to form with a stellar century against India (142 off 107) in Australia's record chase of 331 in Visakhapatnam and then brought up another century (113* off 77) against Bangladesh at the same venue in her team's 10-wicket win.

Healy's calf injury comes as the latest setback for the top-order wicketkeeper-batter. She was sidelined for Australia's final group fixture against India and their semi-final defeat to South Africa due to an injured plantar fascia during the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup. Knee and foot injuries followed and kept her out of the bulk of the 2024 Women's World Cup, an ODI series versus India, the T20I leg of the Women's Ashes as well a T20I series away against New Zealand.

Coming to the match against England at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore, Australia made three changes to their lineup in the form of Georgia Voll, Sophie Molineux and Kim Garth.