A RevSportz Exclusive
Meg Lanning, who hadn’t played for Australia since lifting the women’s T20 World Cup in Cape Town in February 2023, has sent shockwaves through the sport by announcing her retirement from international cricket at the age of 31. Having made her debut in 2010 while still a precocious teenager, Lanning captained the national side for nearly a decade and 182 games, having been elevated to the role at the age of just 21.
Lanning was a poetic force with the bat, embodying grace and power. In a team of formidable players, she stood as the prized wicket. Her graceful run-scoring made it seem like each shot found the gap effortlessly. A cricketing genius, she manipulated the field with finesse. With composure, calm, and an underlying determination, she was a beacon of aggression and grit.
“The decision to step away from international cricket was a difficult one to make, but I feel now is the right time for me,” she said in a statement. “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. 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 team-mates along the way.”
Lanning made 4,602 runs in ODIs at an average of 53.51, while scoring at nearly a run a ball. Her numbers across 132 T20Is were no less impressive, with 3,405 runs at an average of 36.61, and a strike-rate of 116.37. It wasn’t without reason that she was seen as the next in line of a succession of great Australian batters – from Belinda Clark and Lisa Keightley, to Karen Rolten and Lisa Sthalekar.
Sthalekar, who was part of the sides that Lanning came into, was fulsome in her praise for her former teammate. “Meg Lanning will go down as one of our greatest leaders,” she told RevSportz in an exclusive interview. “When you think of what she’s been able to achieve at the helm…she won a couple of [T20] World Cups when she first stepped into the role. Then, in 2017, lost the World Cup [semi-final to India].
“And from there, herself, Matthew Mott [the coach], Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry – the senior players – all kind of banded together and were able to create an amazing force that was just unbeatable. They won every World Cup during that time and went through a difficult period with Covid, yet they were still able to win. So, an outstanding leader and one that we’ll always remember fondly.”
That era of dominance included victories in the T20 World Cups in 2018, 2020 and 2022 (played in 2023), as well as the 50-over crown in New Zealand in 2022. In addition to her calm leadership, Lanning was easily one of the greats with the bat, an elegant and upright player whose cover-driving was a sight to behold. And as with most raised on fast and bouncy Australian pitches, she was ruthless square of the wicket.
“Meg, or Mighty Meg as we all call her, is an absolute legend of the game,” Shikha Pandey told RevSportz. Pandey was part of the Indian side that lost to Australia in front of over 86,000 people at the MCG in the T20 World Cup final in 2020. “She has achieved so much as the captain of a team, which is the most competitive cricket side that we have played against,” said Pandey. “I consider myself blessed and privileged to have been involved in some great battles with her, and have learned so much from her.
When I got to know she would be playing for Delhi Capitals, I was overjoyed. I have had a fair few conversations with her while she was here for the WPL. She is such a great human being and the best teammate one could ask for. Congratulations to her on a legendary international career, and yes, a big thank you.”
Lanning had taken a break after the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022 – Australia edged out India in an epic final – to work as a barista in Melbourne, and though she returned to play domestic cricket recently, that triumph at Newlands against South Africa will now be recalled as her last act in gold and green. As Sthalekar said, she’ll be remembered as the best of the best.
As a leader, Lanning made captaining a team of superstars look like a walk in the park. Her inclusive approach brought out the best in her team, and she led with a proactive, attacking style, always maintaining her graceful demeanour. Even during her second innings in domestic cricket, she played like she had never left. Her retirement leaves a void in the cricketing world. We wish her a fulfilling second innings, and thank her for her contributions.