Australian captain Meg Lanning retires from international cricket

Australian women’s captain Meg Lanning on Thursday retired from international cricket, walking away as one of the game’s most prolific run scorers and decorated leaders.

The 31-year-old top-order batter led Australia to four Twenty20 World Cup titles, one 50-over World Cup triumph, and a Commonwealth Games gold medal — earning the nickname “Megastar” for her run-scoring exploits.

After 13 years of international cricket and having captained her country on 182 occasions, Lanning said it was the “right time 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 teammates along the way,” Lanning said in a statement.

Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley praised her as “one of the finest cricketers Australia has produced” and “one of the best players in the world over a long period of time”.

“Under Meg’s leadership, the Australian women’s cricket team has built a legacy of global dominance and has been at the forefront of growing the game and inspiring the next generation of cricketers all around the world,” he added.

According to Cricket Australia, Lanning has hit more one-day centuries than any woman and is the top run-scorer for the Australian women’s team.

Australia won 26 consecutive one-day games under Lanning’s captaincy between 2018 and 2021, which remains that format’s record-winning streak.

Off the pitch, Lanning also played a crucial role in highlighting the gender pay gap in men’s and women’s professional cricket.

She returned to the Australian team in January after a six-month break to “focus on myself”, days after winning gold at the Commonwealth Games in August 2022.

On her return, she led Australia to victory at the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa and took Delhi Capitals to the final of the inaugural Women’s Premier League in India.

Lanning will continue to play in domestic competitions, Cricket Australia said. (BSS/AFP)