Five years after her husband starred at a cricket World Cup and triggered a massive MCG roar, Alyssa Healy is hoping for a similar experience in the upcoming women's T20 tournament.
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She doesn't have to look far for advice on how to handle the pressure of a home World Cup as her spouse, left-arm pace bowler Mitchell Starc, handled that stress in 2015 and was ultimately named player of the tournament after Australia beat New Zealand in the final.
"I haven't thought about that too much, but it's probably good to chat to him about how they handled that," Healy told AAP.
"I remember sitting at the MCG for that final against New Zealand and I've never heard a roar as big as when he bowled Brendon McCullum.
"To be able to sit here and think about that same things happening for us is unbelievably exciting and something I never thought I'd see throughout my career."
Australia have won eight of their last nine T20 game since winning the 2018 final.
Wicketkeeper-opener Healy's fast scoring at the top of the Australian order looms as a key factor for the defending champions.
Playing for the NSW Breakers in a WNCL match on Thursday will represent Healy's first game in any format since December 1.
"It's unheard of a cricketer to have a bit of time off in December," Healy quipped.
"It's made me really excited to pick up the bat again."
Healy said Australia were in tougher of the two World Cup pools, with their rivals including the third and fourth-ranked nations New Zealand and India.
Australia opens their campaign on February 21 against India at the Sydney Showground.
"India are going to be really hard to beat they love Australian conditions,"Healy said.
"They are going to be a real test for us up front, it's going to be a real measure of exactly how we're travelling."
She predicted it would be a very open tournament.
"Traditionally we've seen England Australia, India and New Zealand be the really strong sides in women's cricket, but T20 is a whole different thing," Healy said.
"It brings everyone a lot closer and you throw in the likes of West Indies and South Africa as well, that are really good in that short format."
Healy joked about watching her long time Sydney Sixers, NSW Breakers and Australian teammate Ellyse Perry playing her first WNCL match for Victoria on Tuesday.
"I was disappointed that she looked normal in navy blue, I hated it," she smiled.
Australian Associated Press
