Ian Andrew Healy, the most popular wicket keeper of Australian side was born in Brisbane on 30 April, 1964. Commonly known as Heals, this specialist wicket kwwper and right-hand middle-order batsman made his entry into international cricket in 1988. Healy, with his enthralling performance won the hearts of millions of cricket lovers with in small time. Over the next decade, Healy was an important and unavoidable part of the Kangaroos and enjoyed a sustained period of success. Healy holds the world record for most Test dismissals by a wicket-keeper.

Ian Healy was a very useful batsman, who used to come to the crease at times to take the scores to huge total. He improved his batting capabilities in the second half of his career. All of his four first-class centuries came out in Test matches. He had led the Aussies side in eight ODIs when the regular skipper Mark Taylor was injured.

It was his adoration for Rod Marsh that made Healy to take up wicket keeping. He also played basketball, soccer, squash and rugby league well.

At the age of 17, Healy joined the Northern Suburbs club in Brisbane’s grade competition in 1982 and leater became a specialist batsman of Queensland Colts. Healy began his international career with the Pakistan tour in late 1988. Australian selector Greg Chappel, who had watched Healy’s progress in Queensland decided to try him as wicket keeper as Australia was struggling for one at that time since the retirement of Rod Marsh.

Healy hit his maiden Test century in 1993. In was during this period, he started displaying his unmatchable wicket keeping abilities. On 4 October 1998, Healy broke Rod Marsh’s world record of 355 dismissals during the first Test against Pakistan at Rawalpindi. He played altogether 119 Tests and had made 395 dismissals, which was later overtaken by Mark Boucher of South Africa.

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