Australia's World Cup winning skipper Meg Lanning takes indefinite break from cricket
No timeline is set for the return of Australia's mighty successful women's team captain.
Meg Lanning has taken an indefinite break from the game, effective immediately, with the mighty successful Australian women's team skipper setting no timeline for her comeback at this stage.
Lanning is taking a step back from the tiring rigours of the international game after leading her side to the gold medal at the first-ever women's T20I tournament played at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
The win at the CWG brought an end to a demanding period of two and a half years for the experienced top-order batter and captain, where she also oversaw the team's successful campaigns at the T20 World Cup 2020 at home and the ODI World Cup in New Zealand earlier this year.
Respecting Meg Lanning's decision to prioritise her mental health, Cricket Australia (CA) came out in full support of their stalwart even as she has clarified no date of return for herself at this point.
"We're proud of Meg Lanning for acknowledging she needs a break" - CA
In a statement issued after Meg Lanning's call to take a break, CA's head of performance for women's cricket Shawn Flegler stated the board is "proud" of the skipper for acknowledging she needs a breather from the sport.
"We're proud of Meg for acknowledging that she needs a break and will continue to support her during this time," said Flegler. "She's been an incredible contributor to Australian cricket over the last decade, achieving remarkable feats both individually and as part of the team, and has been a brilliant role model for young kids."
"The welfare of our players is always our number one priority, and we'll continue to work with Meg to ensure she gets the support and space she needs."
Also Read - NZC agree to release Trent Boult from central contract; pacer opts for semi-retirement
Meg Lanning did not specify why she is opting out of the game but mentioned that the decision has been made to focus on herself at this point in time. The 30-year-old veteran batter expressed sincere gratitude to the CA regime for their support and asked the media and fans to respect her privacy during this phase.
"After a busy couple of years, I've made the decision to take a step back to enable me to spend time focusing on myself. I'm grateful for the support of CA and my teammates and ask that my privacy is respected during this time," she said.
One of the most successful cricketers on the planet, Lanning has featured in 6 Tests, 100 ODIs and 124 T20Is for Australia, with over 8,000 international runs to her name.