Alyssa Healy predicts hardest teams to beat at Women’s Cricket World Cup

July 31, 2025

Australia captain Alyssa Healy expects England and India to prove hard to conquer for Australia at this year’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup this year, as per the official website of ICC. Healy spoke to reporters at a sponsorship event for Cricket Australia in Sydney on Thursday and the experienced keeper revealed everything was on target for the Aussies as they try and become the first side to defend the Women’s 50-over World Cup title in 37 years.

Australia won back-to-back World Cups in 1982 and 1988 under former skipper Sharon Tredrea and the seven-time champions will head into this year’s event in India and Sri Lanka as one of the favourites to hold aloft the famous trophy.

Healy is taking nothing for granted for her No. 1-ranked ODI side in the world and has nominated their closest rivals in the rankings in England (second) and India (third) as potential stumbling blocks for the Aussies at the eight-team tournament that commences on September 30.

“I wouldn’t write England off just yet, I think they will find a groove under Lottie (Charlotte Edwards),” Healy said, as quoted from the official website of ICC.

“But I think the way that India are playing, at home in those conditions, they are going to be really tough to beat,” she added.

Healy is inching closer to making her comeback from the foot injury she picked up at last year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and is eyeing off Australia A’s upcoming series at home against India A as her chance to return to competitive action.

The 35-year-old hasn’t played for Australia since she featured as a batter only in the one-off Test against England at the MCG in February and the most recent time she kept wickets was an ODI against the same side in January at the start of the year.

Healy plans to make her comeback to keeping during the ODI portion of the upcoming series with India A and has tweaked her technique behind the stumps slightly to help her ailing body.