Meg Lanning announces retirement from international cricket
Australia women's team captain, Meg Lanning, has decided to end her illustrious international career at the age of 31. The five-time World Cup-winning skipper is among the leading female cricketers in the world and has been an inspirational figure for Australia across formats over her career that spanned 13 years.
She won a total of seven World Cups with Australia, captaining the side in five of them. Her career as a cricketer will continue through the Women’s National Cricket League, the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) as well as the Women's Premier League (WPL).
Acknowledging that the decision to retire is the right one at this stage of her career, Meg Lanning said:
“The decision to step away from international cricket was a difficult one to make, but I feel now is the right time. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to enjoy a 13-year international career, but I know now is the right time for me to move on to something new."
She added:
"Team success is why you play the game, I’m proud of what I have been able to achieve and will cherish the moments shared with teammates along the way.”
She played a total of 241 matches for Australia over the course of her career and amassed 8352 runs. Her leadership skills have been lauded ever since she took over the captaincy role at the age of 21. She led the nation across 182 matches, forging a team that will undoubtedly go down as one of the most dominant outfits in the sport's history.
Meg Lanning's last international contest was the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup Final
Meg Lanning had taken a break from cricket in the aftermath of the COVID-19 lockdown period. She returned to the fold during the 2022 Commonwealth Games, leading Australia to the gold medal. She also led the nation to the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup, which now ends up as her final international endeavor.
She was primed to play the Women's Ashes midway through 2023 as well but withdrew from the assignment on the advice of Cricket Australia's (CA) medical staff. Following Lanning's shock decision to retire from international cricket, CA's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Nick Hockley said:
“Meg’s supreme achievements with the bat have been matched by her inspiring leadership. As one of the best players in the world over a long period of time, Meg has made an immeasurable impact and led a generation which has helped revolutionise the game."
She is currently representing and leading the Melbourne Stars in the 2023-24 Women's Big Bash League (WBBL). The opening batter was also retained by the Delhi Capitals (DC) after leading the franchise to the finals in the inaugural edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) in early 2023.