Alyssa Healy Reveals She Almost Quit Playing Cricket Two Years Ago

Australia women’s team opener Alyssa Healy recently made a shocking revelation, saying that she nearly bid adieu to cricket almost two years ago. The explosive wicketkeeper- batswoman is currently one of the best players in the world.

Healy has been in a terrific form for the past two years – she has played 27 T20I matches since January 2018, scoring 960 runs in the process, with an average of 41.73 and a healthy strike rate of 154.83 – including seven half-centuries and one century.

Alyssa Healy kept on delivering for Aussie women’s team:

Her figures in ODI cricket are all the more impressive. In the two years since the start of 2018, Healy has racked up 998 runs in 18 games, at an impressive average of 58.70 and strike rate of 109.91, recording six fifties and three centuries.

However, all the aforementioned successes came after a brief period of struggle for the 29-year-old, where she nearly quit playing cricket.

I was frustrated with my cricket: Alyssa Healy

All the achievements and records that Healy broke in the last two years wouldn’t have been possible had Australia team selector Shawn Flegler not convinced her to keep playing cricket. After achieving so much in her career, Healy wanted to call time on her career two years ago but later changed her mind for the good.

“I remember having this discussion with (national selector) Shawn Flegler… it wasn’t necessarily that I felt like I was at a crossroads, but I could have easily walked away from the game and been happy with what I’d done and that I’d contributed to successful teams,” Healy was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

She added, “I probably would have been 26, 27 at the time so it wasn’t so long ago. I think I was probably just frustrated with my cricket and didn’t really know what more I could achieve or what more I could do to better myself or my cricket.”

Thankfully, after a brief time of being at crossroads, Healy had a chat with Flegler who convinced her to keep going and the result is now there for all to see.

“I’m not sure (what convinced me to continue) to be fair, I think Flags reassured me that I was doing the right thing for the team and I was doing my job and that if I kept doing that then some more opportunities might open up,” revealed Healy.

The 29-year-old Australian kept at it in her hard period and her persistence was rewarded with the Belinda Clark award last year, which is given to the best female Australian player of the year.

And, this is how patience is rewarded when it comes to cricket, too.