Ian Healy

Personal information

Full name

Ian Andrew Healy

Born

30 April 1964 (age 52)
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Nickname

Heals

Batting style

Right-handed

Role

Wicket-keeper

Relations

Tom Healy (son)
Alyssa Healy (niece)
Greg Healy (brother)
Mitchell Starc (nephew-in-law)

International information

National side

Australia

Test debut (cap 344)

15 September 1988 v Pakistan

Last Test

17 October 1999 v Zimbabwe

ODI debut (cap 102)

14 October 1988 v Pakistan

Last ODI

25 May 1997 v England

Domestic team information

Years

Team

1986–1999

Queensland

Career statistics

Competition	Tests	ODI	FC	LA
Matches	119	168	231	212
Runs scored	4,356	1,764	8,341	2,183
Batting average	27.39	21.00	30.22	20.99
100s/50s	4/22	0/4	4/39	0/4
Top score	161*	56	161*	56
Balls bowled	0	0	31	0
Wickets	–	–	0	–
Bowling average	–	–	–	–
5 wickets in innings	–	–	–	–
10 wickets in match	–	-	–	-
Best bowling	–	–	–	–
Catches/stumpings	366/29	194/39	698/69	254/46

Source: Cricinfo, 30 March 2009

Ian Andrew Healy (nicknamed "Heals") (born 30 April 1964) is a former cricketer who played for Queensland and Australia. A specialist wicketkeeper and useful right-hand middle-order batsman, he made an unheralded entry to international cricket in 1988, after only six first-class games. His work ethic and combativeness was much needed by an Australian team that was performing poorly. Over the next decade, Healy was a key member of the side as it enjoyed a sustained period of success. By the time of his retirement, Healy held the world record for most Test dismissals by a wicket-keeper.

Healy was a very useful batsman and improved dramatically during the second half of his career. All of his four first-class centuries were scored in Test matches. He could be handy as a hitter late in the innings during ODIs: he averaged 21 while scoring at a rate of 83.8 runs per hundred balls. Although touted as a potential leader of the team early in his career, a series of on-field misdemeanours counted against him when the position was vacant. He captained Australia in eight ODIs when the regular skipper Mark Taylor was injured.

Born in the Brisbane suburb of Spring Hill, Healy was educated at Brisbane State High School. Healy and his family relocated 600 kilometres (370 mi) north to the small town of Biloela in 1972, due to his father’s transfer in his job as a bank manager.Rod Marsh inspired Healy to take up wicket-keeping; he also played basketball, soccer, squash and rugby league. He represented the Queensland under-11 team and later attended a clinic conducted by the touring Queensland cricketers. The team’s wicket-keeper John Maclean gave him some specialist coaching, which gave his junior career further impetus.

During his later years in the town, Healy played alongside adults, which accelerated his progress. Returning to Brisbane with his family at the age of 17 he played for Brisbane State High School 1st XI and 1st Xv, he then joined the Northern Suburbs club in Brisbane’s grade competition in 1982. After three matches for the Queensland Colts as a specialist batsman, Healy made his first-class debut in 1986–87 as a replacement for the injured Peter Anderson. However, Anderson remained the first choice as the state’s wicketkeeper for the next eighteen months, during which time Healy managed only six first-class appearances.

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