Australia captain Meg Lanning has called time on her decorated international cricket career, which included five World Cup victories as skipper.
Key points:
- Lanning won seven World Cups with Australia, including five as skipper
- She skippered Australia in 182 matches
- Lanning scored 17 centuries across the three formats
Lanning, 31, played 241 matches for Australia at the international level and was a three-time Belinda Clark medallist.
She captained Australia 182 times, winning the 2022 ICC Cricket World Cup and four ICC Women’s T20 World Cups (2014, 2018, 2020 and 2023) as skipper.
Lanning won seven World Cups in total as a player.
She also led Australia to victory at last year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Under her captaincy, Australia enjoyed an 80 per cent win rate and set an ODI world record for consecutive wins (26) between 2018 and 2021.
“The decision to step away from international cricket was a difficult one to make, but I feel now is the right time for me,” Lanning said in a statement.
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“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 teammates along the way.
Lanning made her debut for Australia in a T20 international in 2010.
She played her first ODI and Test match in 2011 and 2013 respectively.
Across the three formats she scored 17 centuries, amassing 8,352 runs.
Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley praised Lanning for her “incredible” career.
“One of the finest cricketers Australia has produced, Meg’s supreme achievements with the bat have been matched by her inspiring leadership,” Hockley said.
“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.
“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.
“A seven-time World Cup winner and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Meg retires from international cricket having achieved everything there is to achieve and we thank her for the immense contribution she has made.”
Lanning will continue to play domestic cricket.
Relive the press conference live moment below.
Look back at how ABC readers and other Australians responded to this live moment.
OK, thanks for being with us for that announcement.
Meg Lanning was emotional as you’d expect her to be, but also seems very content with her choice as she moves away from cricket into the next phase of her life.
All you can ask from a player is to leave their position in a better place than they found it and, in Lanning’s case, she has certainly done that.
Thanks for being with us and thank you to Meg Lanning for all the memories of what has been one of the all time great international careers.
We’ll have analysis a bit later on the ABC Sport page, but until then, goodbye.
“It’s something I probably will think about a lot more [after I retire],” Lanning says.
“Australian players have an impact on some people.
“Hopefully it’s been a positive influence.
“From where the game was when I started, the opportunity for young girls to play the game they were few and far between
“I played all my junior cricket in boys teams and now there’s so many options for young girls and boys to play.
“I hope that young girl have followed my journey a little bit and have been positively influenced to go out there and chase their dreams and see what’s possible.
“It’s great that it’s changed a lot.”
She says that it’s not something that she’s overly comfortable with given that she is a private person, but she’s still happy that she has been able to have that impact.
Lanning says that although the last couple of days have happened “really quickly”, she has given today’s announcement a lot of thought and is looking forward to what is next.
“What that is I’m not sure,” she says.
She said over the last 18 months that she has almost been trying to convince herself to carry on, but since she made the decision there has been an element of her feeling “relieved”.
“Over the past 18 months I have taken a step back and it’s given me a chance to have a look at the reasons I am playing,” she says.
“When your perspective changes a little bit you think about things differently.
“I’ve taken some time out of the game and that gave me a chance to take a breath and see the world outside cricket
“It’s pretty consuming.
“That’s why I had so much success, I gave everything I had.
“Taking a step back has been a big learning experience and really opened my eyes to the big wide world out there.”
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