Australian women’s cricket captain Alyssa Healy recovering after ‘vicious dog attack’ at home

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Alyssa Healy has opened up on the dog fight that has left her in doubt for Australia’s upcoming tour of India.

The Sydney Sixers played down the incident that forced the wicketkeeper to miss a WBBL clash and undergo surgery on her hand, describing it as a “domestic accident at home”.

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But Healy’s national teammate Phoebe Litchfield later revealed that her dogs did the damage.

Speaking to Fox after the Thunder’s win over the Sixers, Litchfield shed the limited details she had on the concerning incident.

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“I actually didn’t know until I turned up today, so I hope she’s OK,” Litchfield said.

“It sounded like a pretty vicious dog attack, and I don’t know if this is public, just a lacerated finger I’m pretty sure, so hopefully she’s alright.”

A return date for the 33-year-old is still unclear, throwing a cloud over her chances to be fit for the upcoming multi-format tour of India.

Alyssa Healy assured fans she was on the mend. Credit: Instagram/a_healy

Healy posted an Instagram picture with a bandaged hand saying she appreciated people’s support as she watched Sunday’s game from home.

“Appreciate all the love. Am at home watching the girls get it done,” she wrote.

“Side note – if anyone knows how to do a hair tie one-handed, let me know.”

Speaking on Monday, Healy revealed she was rushed to hospital on Saturday night after picking up the injury to her right index finger when she jumped in to stop an escalating fight between her Staffordshire bull terriers.

Australia’s stand-in captain admitted she had initially feared the worst, but she is now hopeful of returning later in the WBBL for the Sixers.

That would put her on track for Australia’s multi-format tour of India, which is expected to begin with a day-night Test on December 21.

“Unfortunately I got my hand in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Healy told reporters in a video press conference from her home.

“The positive sign out of it is there was no bone or tendon damage, or a rupture. That’s the best news possible.

“I think there was an artery involved which probably made it look more like a crime scene than it needed to be. It was quite gory.

“When I pulled my finger out initially, I thought I was in strife. But it’s all gone smoothly at the moment.

“I’d say it’s shorter term more than long term at the moment, the way people are talking.”

Healy will meet surgeons again on Thursday, and expects to have a clearer picture on the injury then.

She joked that her dogs were not in the best way.

“The good news is we’re still friends,” she said.

“They’re probably a little bit worse for wear than what I was, but we’re still friends.

“We all sat on the couch last night together and debriefed the situation and we’re all getting along fine.”

Healy’s husband Mitchell Starc is currently in India with the Australian men’s team at the Cricket World Cup.

Healy and her dogs ‘debriefed’ the incident on the couch after her surgery. Credit: Instagram/a_healy

Sixers captain and Healy’s longtime Australia teammate Elyse Perry said her teammates have wrapped their arms around her.

“I had a few chats with Midge last night; a couple of the girls have been in touch with her,” Sixers captain Ellyse Perry told reporters on Sunday evening.

“She’s had a big day and she’s recovering. She certainly knows that the whole group’s thoughts are with her.

“We’ll hopefully get to see her in the next little bit, and give her a big hug.

“It was a very freak accident, I guess. I’m not across what it was. It was something at home.

“We’re just sending lost of thoughts and best wishes to her, because she’s going to have a recovery period. It would have been a really awful situation.”

Sixers head Rachael Haynes said after the game the next fortnight would be important for Healy, but wasn’t sure how long she would be unavailable.

“I spoke to her family and she’s certainly in good spirits and we will be in the position probably over the next couple of days to clarify all the information around that,” Haynes told Fox.

The Sixers said in a statement that further information about Healy’s injury, likely including how long she will be sidelined, would be “communicated in due course.”

“She has not been replaced on the Sixers’ roster,” the statement added.

Healy has captained the all-conquering Australian women’s side during the extended absence of full-time skipper Meg Lanning, most recently in an ODI and T20 series against the West Indies.

The Sixers’ next match is against Brisbane Heat North Sydney Oval on Tuesday night.

– With AAP