Healy lauds ‘fearless’ Litchfield, backs her to play key role in World Cups

Listen to Story Alyssa Healy heaped praise on young batter Phoebe Litchfield after the latter played some scintillating knocks in Australia’s multi format series against India. The southpaw finished the ODI series as the top run getter, helping her team win the series 3 0. In three games, Litchfield scored 260 runs at an average of 86.66, with to show for her efforts.

Even in the T20I series that Australia won 1 2, Litchfield scored 84 runs at an average of 84 and a strike rate of 147.36. Healy, who won the Player of the Series award, was in awe of the fearless approach that Litchfield showed in the series. "I was joking sitting on the bench that I remember when I was that fearless when you come out, and you have lost two wickets in an over and play a ramp over the keeper for four," Healy was quoted as saying.

Healy, who played a match winning knock of 67 in the third T20I, backed Litchfield to have a ‘successful’ career for the Australia women’s team. The skipper also said that the youngster will play a key role for the national team in the T20 World Cup and the ODI World Cup. "Unbelievable talent, but at the same time, she has got a good head on her shoulders and has fitted in beautifully in our squad and will play a key role for us in the Bangladesh [T20] World Cup [2024] and the ODI World Cup [2025] in these conditions in the next 18 months.

She is great to watch, and hopefully she is going to have a long and successful career for Australia," she added. Litchfield also holds the record for the joint fastest half century in Women’s T20Is off 18 balls after she equalled Sophie Devine’s record last year in the home series against the West Indies..