Australian women’s cricket captain Meg Lanning will take a period of indefinite leave, effective immediately.
Key points:
- Lanning made the decision for personal reasons
- Cricket Australia says it supports Lanning’s decision
- Lanning captained Australia to its win at the Commonwealth Games
Cricket Australia (CA) said Lanning made the decision for “personal reasons”, with no timeline set for her return.
“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,” Lanning said in a CA statement.
“I’m grateful for the support of CA and my teammates and ask that my privacy is respected during this time.”
The announcement of Lanning’s decision comes only days after she led Australia to victory at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
CA said it would support Lanning, with a decision on her participation in the Australian domestic season to made in “due course”.
“We’re proud of Meg for acknowledging that she needs a break and will continue to support her during this time,” CA’s women’s cricket head of performance Shawn Flegler said.
“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.”
Lanning was due to play in The Hundred tournament in England and Wales, where she was to represent the Trent Rockets.
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