Meg Lanning Announces Shocking Retirement at 31.

Australian Cricket Star Meg Lanning Announces Retirement from International Cricket

Lanning, who missed the last three Australian series owing to a physical condition, shockingly decides to retire at age 31.

(Cricket News) Meg Lanning, aged 31, has shockingly decided to retire from international cricket with immediate effect. The captain of Australia hadn’t represented her nation on the pitch since winning the T20 World Cup in South Africa in February. Despite being fit, she took no part in the recent T20I and ODI series against West Indies and missed Australia’s tour of the UK owing to an undisclosed medical issue. She later returned to play WNCL cricket for Victoria.

Lanning is expected to continue playing domestic cricket and is currently captain of the Melbourne Stars in the WBBL. “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 stated. “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. “The goal of the game is team victory, and I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. I will always treasure the times I spent with my teammates during the journey.

“I want to express my gratitude to Cricket Victoria, Cricket Australia, the Australian Cricketers’ Association, my family, and my teammates for their support in enabling me to compete at the greatest level in the game I love. Additionally, I would want to express my gratitude to all of my followers for their unwavering support during my worldwide career.”

Lanning has taken multiple pauses from cricket for a range of reasons in the past few seasons. She took a break from the game in 2022 after Australia’s victory at the Commonwealth Games and worked as a barista in a neighborhood coffee shop in Melbourne. She did not make it to Australia’s December tour of India, but she did come back for the 2023 T20 World Cup preparations.

Lanning played 241 matches for Australia, including six Tests, 103 ODIs, and 132 T20Is, since making her debut on the international scene in 2010 at the age of 18. Having led Australia to four T20 World Cup wins, an ODI World Cup trophy, and a Commonwealth Games title, she will go down as one of the most successful captains in cricket history. Throughout her career, she captained her country in 182 games after being appointed captain in 2014 at the age of 21.

When she scored 104 not out of more than nine at the age of 18, she became the youngest Australian girl to achieve a century. Lanning has the greatest average of any of the 11 women with more than 4000 ODI runs – 53.51, while Mithali Raj is the only other player to average more than 50. Additionally, her strike rate of 92.20 was astounding.

After Bates, Lanning has scored the second-most runs in women’s T20I history. She scored two centuries and 3405 runs at an average of 36.61, with a strike average of 116.37.

Her glittering personal résumé was incomplete without a Test century. During her 13-year career, she participated in just six Test matches and scored just two half-centuries, her best being 93 against England in 2022.