Captain Alyssa Healy admits she's no certainty of being available for Australia's crunch semi-final clash against South Africa at the T20 World Cup in Dubai. The inspirational Australian skipper has had the best part of a week to rest and recover from a troublesome foot injury that saw her hobble off in the crushing group stage win over Pakistan.
The injury sidelined Healy for Australia's vital win against India in their final group stage game that wrapped up top spot and kept their unbeaten record in the tournament alive. Healy was seen on crutches and sporting a moon boot on her foot when she arrived at the stadium in Sharjah for the India game and admits that she's facing a race against the clock to be fit for the semi-final against South Africa, and hopefully the final.
Healy revealed her foot was "bloody sore" during the win over Pakistan, a game that also saw teammate Tayla Vlaeminck dislocate her shoulder in the first over of the game, before being ruled out of the tournament. Speaking about her own injury though, Healy said there was a massive relief within the squad that it wasn't an issue with her calf that would have almost certainly spelled the end of her tournament.
"Not much fun, I'll put it that way," Healy said about her foot injury on the Willow Talk podcast. "But thankfully it wasn't the calf. Everyone was stressing that it was the calf because I am 34 now and that's all everyone is worried about.
"I have had a little re-injury of a foot I did earlier in the year. I am still in the squad, I haven't been replaced, so there is still a chance that I can take part in this tournament. It was bloody sore at the time, but it's play on and hopefully get myself fine for either a semi or a final."
Healy's admission that she might not be ready for the South Africa semi-final shapes as a massive blow to Australia's hopes of defending their T20 World Cup title. In saying that though, the Aussies proved they still have plenty of firepower without their influential captain after Tahlia McGrath led the side to victory over India in the absence of the regular skipper.
Stand-in vice-captain Ellyse Perry said while there are still major question marks around Healy's involvement in the rest of the tournament, she trusted the Aussie medical team would be doing everything in their power to get the opener ready. "The medical staff and the team are going to give her every opportunity and possibility to play tomorrow night. We'll just have to see in the next 24 hours," said Perry.
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The South Africans could be sensing a monumental upset against the injury-hit World Cup holders, but Perry has backed the Aussie squad to be galvanised by the unfortunate setbacks. "When you see things like injury bring your mate down, it probably just strengthens that resolve to get around each other and be supportive," Perry added.
"Tay (Vlaeminck) is still around the group, which is great. So lovely to have her smiling face here, she's just an amazing character. And obviously, Midge (Healy) is such an important leader in our group, and is still contributing just as much."
The South Africans will be looking to exact revenge on Australia after going down to them in last year's T20 World Cup final in February. Since that heartbreaking defeat, South Africa has broken its drought against the Aussie side, with captain Laura Wolvaardt hitting an unbeaten 50 in their six-wicket win in Canberra in January. They also won an ODI against Healy's team in Sydney the following month, despite coming off second best in both those white-ball series.
"I think a lot has happened since that World Cup final," Wolvaardt said. "We've had the two wins against them earlier this year and I think that gives a bit of positive energy in the camp, knowing if we play our best cricket, they are beatable. "If we play a good game, we have the talent to beat them."
with AAP
