Healy still hopes to lead Australia into World Cup semi

Alyssa Healy hasn’t ruled out the prospect of leading her Australia team out in their T20 World Cup semi-final – and team medics are giving the skipper every possible chance to be fit for the clash against South Africa in Dubai.

Meanwhile, the South Africans are scenting the prospect of a monumental shock by knocking out the injury-hit champs in Dubai on Thursday (Friday AEDT).

Healy, still recovering from her right foot injury suffered last week in the win over Pakistan, faces a race to be fit for the repeat of last year’s final in Cape Town, when Australia beat the hosts by 19 runs.

Stand-in vice-captain Ellyse Perry reported in her eve-of-match news conference that the team still didn’t know if their leader and inspirational wicketkeeper-batter would be fit.

“The medical staff and the team are going to give her every every opportunity and possibility to play tomorrow night. We’ll just have to see in the next 24 hours,” said Perry, who’s stepped up as as chief lieutenant to stand-in skipper Tahlia McGrath.

But Healy herself is still harbouring hopes, especially as it wasn’t another recurrence of a troublesome calf problem.

“Not much fun, I’ll put it that way,” she said of her 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.”

In a testing time for the side, with pace bowler Tayla Vlaeminck out of the tournament with a shoulder dislocation, Perry was adamant the Australians’ resolve was only being strengthened in adversity.

“When you see things like injury bring your mate down, it probably just strengthens that resolve to get around each other and be supportive,” said the great allrounder.

“Tay 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.

South African captain Laura Wolvaardt believes her side now pose a very different threat to February 2023 when, cheered on by an ecstatic home crowd, they fell just a bit short in the final.

Since then, they’ve finally broken their T20I win drought against Australia, with Wolvaardt herself starring with an unbeaten 50 in their six-wicket win in Canberra in January, while they also won an ODI against Healy’s team in Sydney the following month.

Even though they lost both those white-ball series, Wolvaardt reflected: “I think a lot has happened since that World Cup final.

“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.”

Perry understands the threat too. “You only have to look at Marizanne Kapp and what she’s capable of,” she said, singling out the 34-year-old allounder, player of the match in the South Africans’ ODI win over Australia in February.