Australia Men’s fast bowler Mitchell Starc and Australia Women’s wicket-keeper batter Alyssa Healy are a power couple in cricket. In addition to being exceedingly good at their respective roles, both the players have been part of World Cup-winning teams as well.
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When Australia won ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, Starc had shared a picture alongside Healy. In 2022, the role-reversal happened as it was Healy’s turn to upload a photo with Starc after Australia won ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. The two, however, have been part of other World Cup-winning campaigns as well.
It was as recent as last night that Starc was cheering Healy in Women’s Premier League 2023 Eliminator at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy. Healy was the captain of UP Warriorz, and Starc was seen wearing UP’s jersey in the stands.
2015 🏆
2022 🏆Just two champions in one frame 📸#CWC22 pic.twitter.com/IXzQmh3oUv
— ICC (@ICC) April 3, 2022
Although Warriorz lost the match, Starc’s presence among spectators was a source of amazement among cricketing fans. Healy was also celebrating her 33rd birthday on the very same day. It was not the first time that Starc had come to the venue to support Healy. He was present during the finals of ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 and 2022’s World Cup as well.
Mitchell Starc at the UP Warriorz camp for Alyssa Healy’s birthday celebration 🥳😀 #CricketTwitter #WPL2023 pic.twitter.com/MjmQYzlvLC
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) March 24, 2023
Alyssa Healy and Mitchell Starc love story
Both Starc and Healy met each other when they were just nine-year old. They were giving trials for Sydney’s Northern District Cricket Association team. It is interesting that they used to do wicket-keeping drills together. Healy continued as a wicket-keeper, whereas Starc went on to become one of the best pacers around.
“I actually met Mitch [Mitchell Starc] around that time, when I was nine. We played against one another in club cricket, and with one another in representative cricket. From Under-10s to Under-16s, we played together. And we shared the wicket-keeping for the first three years before Mitch started bowling more,” Healy had told The Sydney Morning Herald once.
Australia’s legendary wicket-keeper batter Ian Healy is Alyssa’s uncle, and he inspired Alyssa to take the gloves. Both Starc and Healy announced their engagement in 2015, and they got married in 2016. They have been married for almost seven years now.
“@CricketAus: Mitchell Starc in full flight warming up @SCG #AUSvENG pic.twitter.com/ZemUdQUKiO”. @squirelacto good high arm there!!
— Alyssa Healy (@ahealy77) January 16, 2015
Despite their marriage, both Starc and Healy stay busy with their cricketing duties. Once, Healy revealed that they both spend just three months together in a year. This is one of the reasons why Starc misses the IPL as these are the months where both of them can spend time together.
In an interview on Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Youtube channel, Healy once revealed that both of them don’t talk much about cricket. She said that they have enough coaches around them to talk about the game, so they try to stay away from it when together.
Alyssa Healy wanted to be a pacer like Mitchell Starc
Healy had once revealed that she also wanted to be a pacer as well. She said that everyone had to try wicket-keeping, and once she got picked for Under-11s as their keeper was missing. Healy had said that after that match, she never looked back.
“I wanted to be a fast bowler, but everyone had to have a go at being wicket-keeper, and in week three it was my go. The next week I was playing in the Under-11s because their keeper was missing, and there was no going back,” Healy revealed to The Sydney Morning Herald.
Healy has the record of scoring the most runs in a single Women’s World Cup. She had scored 509 runs at an average of 56.56 last year. Starc, on the other hand, has the record of picking the most wickets in a World Cup campaign. He had scalped 27 wickets during ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in England.