Cricket great Alyssa Healy is caught up in HUGE TV commentary furore over her husband Mitchell Starc
Cricket fans have jumped to Australian captain Alyssa Healy’s defense after she was accused of a shocking conflict of interest while providing color commentary on the Boxing Day Test.
The 34-year-old was hit by the controversial version as she spoke about her husband Mitch Starc’s performance against India at the MCG, where he starred in the rollercoaster match.
News Corp journalist Ronny Lerner was widely condemned for his view of her commentary, as he wrote on Alyssa Healy says her husband is one of the worst in any sport.”
That provoked strong reactions from hundreds of Australians, with the vast majority disapproving of Lerner.
“She’s there as captain of the women’s team, not as a wife. this is a very bad approach. She has more cricket experience and knowledge than James Brayshaw and several others in the [commentary] box, and once again the Australian captain!’ one cricket fan commented in response.
“Yes, because a woman is defined by who she is married to and not by her own achievements… you know, as captain of the Australian women’s cricket team,” another added.
Australian skipper Alyssa Healy (left) has been accused of a major conflict of interest for commentating on the Boxing Day Test while her husband Mitchell Starc (right) was playing
Cricket fans came to Healy’s defense after she became popular on social media platform X for all the wrong reasons
“Just wait until this guy finds out Alyssa Hely is a professional cricketer,” said a third.
“Alyssa Healy is not only a talented player and generational leader, she is one of the most insightful and intelligent commentators in the game. To suggest otherwise or to question her knowledge is ignorant at best, and deliberately mocking and attention-seeking at worst,” another fan wrote.
Other cricket die-hards ignored Starc and focused only on what Healy added to the broadcast.
‘Alyssa Healy is a good commentator. That’s it,” someone said.
“I love Alyssa Healy taking the p**s out of Mitch’s golfing skills and then making the classic statement about an Indian batsman being ‘scored in the lid’ – so classic Aussie,” another added.
‘Alyssa Healy is such a natural talent in the commentary field. Natural casual Australian flair about her,” a third wrote.
Healy’s comments included her taking a shot at Virat Kohli after the former India skipper slammed his shoulder into Australian teenage debutant Sam Konstas in one of the most controversial moments of this summer’s series.
“It doesn’t really set the best tone for your side, but if that’s a way the Indian team wants to approach it then so be it. It didn’t bother him [Konstas] a little,” she said.
A knee injury prevented Healy from keeping wicket in Australia’s recent ODI series victory over New Zealand, and she is still trying to regain full fitness for the Ashes series against England in Australia next month.
Healy (pictured with trophies in hand after Australia’s ODI series win over New Zealand earlier this month) added color to the Fox Sports broadcast
Many Aussies were quick to point out that Healy appeared in the coverage because she is one of the best cricketers Australia has produced – not because she is married to Starc.
‘[I’m] on the Governor General’s team and that will be a great opportunity for me to put on the gloves and see how everything progresses,” Healy told reporters on Saturday.
“It’s a bit of a play by ear at the moment to see how everything goes, but I enjoyed running around the pitch in New Zealand so if that’s the option and it’s less disruptive to our side then I’d that could be the way to move forward. forward.
‘… the real test will be in the next ten days when I go into the series, how that (knee) goes up, how it reacts when I stay again.’
The Ashes series includes a day-night Test at the MCG, the first time since 2017 that the countries’ women’s teams will use a pink ball.
Healy was asked about the prospect of seeing rows of empty seats at the famous ground during the Test.
“We are well aware that 87,000 people will not come through the gate every day, but [someone] asked me, “Would you rather play in North Sydney [Oval] stand in front of 4000, or challenge the norm and play at the MCG and see how many we can get?” she told the ABC.
‘Definitely, the MCG. We grew up watching Test cricket, just like everyone else, and wanted to run outside in our baggy greens.”