Indore, Oct 21 (IANS) Shelley Nitschke, Australia’s head coach, opened up on skipper Alyssa Healy’s injury ahead of the team’s high-octane Women’s World Cup clash against arch-rivals England and mentioned that her absence in the upcoming clash will present an opportunity for other players to step up in different roles.

Healy has been ruled out of the team’s next encounter, scheduled to be played on Wednesday at the Holkar Stadium here, after sustaining a minor calf strain during a training session last Saturday.

Tahlia McGrath, the vice captain, will lead the team in Healy’s absence as the defending champions aim to maintain their unbeaten streak in the tournament. Healy could also miss Australia’s final group-stage match against South Africa if she does not recover in time for the game on Saturday, October 25.

Ahead of the England fixture, head coach Nitschke addressed the media during the pre-match press conference and discussed Healy’s injury, noting that her absence will test the team’s depth ahead of the knockout fixture.

“It’s a big loss for us. She’s our captain. She’s made back-to-back hundreds. So she’s certainly in some form with the bat, but I think, you know, it sort of also provides some opportunity, and we sort of talk about our depth a bit and that’s going to test it and is going to provide some opportunities for others to step up into some roles which I think we can cover that,” Nitschke said.

The former Aussie cricketer also stated that Georgia Voll will be the team’s top choice to replace Healy, but the team and management will discuss the right match-ups before making a final call on the XI.

“So, whilst it’s not ideal, I think, you know, it’s why you bring 15 players to be able to absorb when things like this arise. We’ve got some options, obviously. The first one is Georgia Voll, who’s here and has filled that role before. But we’ll sit down today and probably just make sure we’re getting our match-ups right and come to a final decision. But she’s, you know, the obvious choice, but we certainly have got some depth there, in our batting, so there are some opportunities, outside of that move as well.”

McGrath has previously captained Australia in Healy’s absence, and it’s nothing new to her. However, she will have a huge responsibility when she leads them against England, one of their oldest and toughest rivals. Expressing confidence in her abilities, Nitschke added:

“She’s a pretty cool customer, T-Mac (Tahlia McGrath). And she’s someone who has certainly stepped up when she’s leading the team. So I’m looking forward to seeing her out there, captaining us, and I know she’ll do a fantastic job.”

— IANS

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