Meg Lanning, the captain of the Melbourne Stars, revealed on Tuesday that she will prolong her extended leave from cricket and miss the eighth season of the Women’s Big Bash League.
Meg Lanning, the captain of the Melbourne Stars, revealed on Tuesday that she will prolong her extended leave from cricket and miss the eighth season of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL). According to a statement from the team, “Melbourne Stars Captain Meg Lanning will continue her indefinite hiatus from cricket and will not play for the Melbourne Stars in WBBL08.” The club supports her choice and requests that her privacy be maintained. Lanning stated earlier in August that she will be taking an indefinite hiatus from cricket due to personal issues.
Lanning had just assisted her team in winning the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham after the Australians defeated India by nine runs. After a busy two and a half years, during which Australia maintained its dominance by winning the ODI and T20I World Cup competitions as well as the home Ashes series, she took a break from the sport.
The 30-year-old player has not specified a return date but has Cricket Australia’s approval.
Shawn Flegler, CA’s Head of Performance, Women’s Cricket, said in a statement, “We are pleased with Meg for recognizing that she needs a break and will continue to assist her throughout this time.
She has contributed greatly to Australian cricket over the past ten years, accomplishing amazing exploits both individually and as a member of the team, and has served as an excellent role model for young children.
The Head of Performance added, “The welfare of our players is always our top priority, and we will continue to work with Meg to ensure she gets the support and space she needs.
Lanning stated in a written statement: “I’ve decided to step back after a couple of busy years so that I can spend more time focusing on myself. I appreciate CA’s and my teammates’ assistance and ask that my privacy be respected at this time.”
In 2010, Lanning, being 18 years old, made her debut in international cricket. Since then, she has established herself as the top batter for both her team and the women’s ODI as a whole. She became the youngest Australian to strike a century in an international game when she got a century in her second One Day International. One of the countless hundreds that came after was this.
She has led Australia 171 times since taking over as captain in 2014, trailing only Ricky Ponting and Allan Border.
Lanning has appeared in 54 games for the Melbourne Stars team. She has 1,805 runs scored in these games, averaging 41.97 runs per game. Her top mark for each of them is 97*. The Australian star has scored 18 half-centuries for Melbourne Stars.
Beginning on October 13th, the Women’s Big Bash League’s eighth season will begin.
