The Australian’s Australian of the Year: Nominee Meg Lanning bats on for women’s equality

Australian cricketer Meg Lanning led her team to victory at the Women’s T20 World Cup in front of a record crowd at the MCG last year.

Meg Lanning celebrates the Women’s World T20 title win. Picture: AAP

Cricketer Meg Lanning has had a career of firsts, and the past year has been no exception.

The 28-year-old, who has captained Australia’s women’s cricket team since 2014, has been part of five successful world championship campaigns, winning four ICC Women’s World T20 ­titles and one Women’s Cricket World Cup.

She cemented her status as a cricketing legend after she led the team to victory in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Final at the MCG last year.

The match, held on International Women’s Day and headlined by Katy Perry, was given equal billing to a men’s game and became a powerful moment for women’s equality in sport, an issue for which Lanning has publicly gone into bat.

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A campaign to fill the MCG and break the world record for attendance at a women’s sport event amassed a crowd of 86,174 cricket fans — 4000 shy of the international record set at the 1999 soccer World Cup final.

Lanning said the victory was even sweeter after an “up and down” start, losing the first game to India. “The winning moment was really special,” she said.

“We really got to soak it in (during) those last five overs, just looking around at the huge crowd and feeling the atmosphere they were creating. It was a big moment for women’s sport globally, happening as it did on International Women’s Day. For us to be in the middle of all that is something we’ll take with us forever.”

Lanning’s commitment to women’s equality in sport, and unfailing grace under pressure, have earned her a nomination for The Australian’s Australian of the Year award.

“It’s important everyone has an opportunity to become involved (in sport) if they want to,” she said.

“Cricket has done a great job in providing that opportunity for young girls to be able to get outdoors and play, and then to establish a clear pathway. They can see their role models playing in the WBBL and Australian women’s team and that’s really important.”

Despite her many successes Lanning said the greatest honour of her career had been to be part of such an incredible team of talented players.

She is bracing for a big summer, with a tour of New Zealand before the The Hundred competition in England, then games against India and the Ashes.

We encourage our readers to put in a nomination for The Australian’s Australian of the Year, which was first won in 1971 by economist HC “Nugget” Coombs. Prominent Australians can be nominated by filling out the coupon above, or sending an email to [e-mail]. Nominations close on Thursday, January 21.