Meg Lanning learning to manage increased scrutiny as game grows

INJURED Australia captain Meg Lanning said the recent World Cup was a learning curve for herself and the team with increased media scrutiny.

Lanning’s injury appeared to restrict her more as the World Cup wore on.

INJURED Australia captain Meg Lanning said the recent World Cup was a learning curve for herself and the team as the media scrutiny on her injury and their performance highlighted how much the women’s game has changed.

Lanning battled a shoulder injury throughout the tournament that meant she could only throw underarm and resulted in her being rested for a couple of matches then having surgery as soon as she returned to Australia.

She said she learnt a lot having to manage the injury and the interest in it at the same time.

“It was challenging, that’s for sure. I’ve never really had to deal with a big injury before, so I was making it up as I went along a little bit,” Lanning said.

“I wasn’t able to train as much as I would have liked throughout the tournament and it took a little bit for me to get used to early on, but once we were playing it was OK.

Despite her bad shoulder she still managed some big innings throughout the tournament. Pic: Stu Forster/Getty Images

“There was a lot of attention around it, which wasn’t ideal and I would prefer it didn’t happen but that’s the way it goes.”

Lanning preferred to take a positive approach though, saying it was a good indication that women’s cricket was becoming mainstream.

“It was definitely a very highly scrutinised tournament and that was one part of it I guess that we haven’t seen before,” she said.

“But that’s good. We’re after people wanting to be interested in women’s cricket and what’s going on and little side stories and things like that I think shows how far the game has come and that people are interested in knowing.

“You have to take the good with the bad I guess. That’s all part of it.”

Alyssa Healy, Nicole Bolton, Rachael Haynes (captain) and Ellyse Perry are all likely to be named in Tuesday’s Test and ODI teams. Pic: Phil Hilyard

Cricket Australia will be hopeful that interest flows into the upcoming Ashes series and early indications are that it has.

The first one day match, in Brisbane in two weeks, has sold out, and the first-ever women’s day-night Test, at North Sydney Oval, makes attending easier for families with a midweek start.

Lanning said the competition for Ashes spots — with the Test and ODI teams named today — would likely be battled out among the World Cup players and a number put their hand up during the opening weekend of WNCL.

Opener Nicole Bolton recorded two centuries from Western Australia’s two matches, while teammate Elyse Villani also notched one in their first game.

Nicole Bolton has opened her WNCL campaign with two centuries in two matches. Pic: Mark Brake/Getty Images

Rachael Haynes (NSW) and Amanda-Jade Wellington were others to crack 100s.

Victorian spinner Kristen Beams also put her case forward, taking 5-52 in their 90-run loss to New South Wales on Sunday.

“I don’t think there’ll be a lot of changes from the squad that went to England,” Lanning said.

“We probably won’t pick 15 players so there’ll be a few left spots, I guess.

“The first couple of (WNCL) rounds were important and as Australian players we do talk about dominating at domestic level and really stamping our authority on the competition, hopefully that’s the case.”

Originally published as Meg Lanning learning to manage increased scrutiny as game grows