Australia star Alana King wants her side to play more cricket at the newly-redeveloped WACA Ground

Australia star Alana King wants her side to host more international cricket at the newly-redeveloped WACA Ground, which she declared was “one of the most beautiful and iconic grounds” in the country. A day-night Test match between Australia and India which begins on Friday will be the first international game played at the venue since a new aquatic centre and gym was officially opened to the public last week. Final touches to other areas of the ground’s $189 million redevelopment, including the new indoor centre and museum, are ongoing. King, who moved from Victoria to WA in 2020 and has since blossomed into one of the world’s best leg-spinners, told The West Australian she was stoked to see the changes to the venue come without the loss of any of its character. “It’s one of the most beautiful and iconic grounds in Australia. I think it’s a perfect venue,” King said. “We know, just through the WBBL numbers, that Perth fans and locals come out and support us. I know in the WBBL, we have the best crowd numbers across the board. “I’d love to see an international game played here every summer. Whether it’s a Test match or a white-ball game, either or, I’ll take it. “I love playing at the WACA. It’s going to be a great spectacle with the new redevelopment open.” The Test match will take on extra significance as Alyssa Healy’s final appearance for Australia, with the 15-year veteran to call time on her international career after the game. One of the WACA’s famous grass banks has been christened the ‘Healy Hill’ for the game in her honour, with Cricket Australia to hand out a limited number of cardboard cut-outs bearing her face on the second day of the game. Healy marked her exit from One-Day Internationals by blasting a brilliant 158 on Sunday and King said she had no doubt the destructive batter could leave Test cricket in similar fashion. “I don’t think it’s going to sink in until the last ball’s been bowled. Hopefully we’ll have the trophy with us as well,” King said. “To see the hill named after her is very special. “We’re all going to soak it up, Midge is definitely going to soak it up, and we’re all right behind her, every step of the way.” King was controversially dropped from Australia’s squad for the Twenty20 leg of the multi-format series, which Australia lead 8-4 after a 3-0 sweep of the ODI leg. She took 12 wickets in 13 for Perth Scorchers in the most recent WBBL season, much of which she spent playing through a broken finger on her bowling hand. King, who bounced back from the omission to claim seven wickets in the three one-dayers and become the ICC’s No.1 ranked ODI bowler for the first time, said feedback from the selectors on why she was left out and was clear. “It’s team match-ups, balance, and all that stuff,” she said. “It’s always disappointing when you miss out on any squad or any team. (It provides) extra motivation, but I won’t change my approach too much. I’ve been there before and it’s going to keep driving me to get better. “I had to shift focus to the ODI stuff and the Test match now. I control what I can control and that’s training well, prepping well, and trying to take every opportunity I can.”