Cricket news 2023: Australian great Meg Lanning announces sudden retirement
Meg Lanning shed a tear as she confirmed her retirement from an international cricket career which will have her remembered as one of Australia’s most-successful captains.
An emotional Meg Lanning wiped away tears as she thanked the support of her family and friends throughout her cricket career as she revealed she no longer had the “spark or motivation” required to continue playing for her country.
Announcing her retirement from international cricket outside the MCG, the Australian captain and batting star declared the time was right to step away from the national team as she had “nothing left to achieve on the international stage”.
The 31-year-old revealed it was a decision that she had been building towards for the past 18 months, during which time she took two breaks from the game, saying she had been trying to come up with reasons as to why she should continue playing internationally.
Departing the international game as one of Australia’s most decorated cricketers, Lanning said she could not be “half-in or half-out” as a player.
“Scoring runs and helping my team win and doing as well as I can has been something that I have loved, but being a part of a really special team for so long and working together with them has been my life for 13 years, I know nothing other than that,” Lanning said.
“I learned so much and I have had so many incredible opportunities to do that and I am sad that it is finishing up but I am very much ready for something new and it’s time to move on and go on experience other things other than playing cricket, which I’m really excited about
“I have achieved so much within the game and I’ve been lucky enough to have such a successful career and be a part of very successful teams and I guess I feel like I have got nothing left to achieve on the international stage.
“For me, I can’t be half-in or half-out with anything and I guess that’s where I have landed with this decision is that I no longer have the spark or motivation to do what needs to happen at this level, so for me it is time to move on.”
An emotional Lanning then paused to compose herself before she thanked those who had supported her during her cricket career.
As she looked towards her family standing at the back of the media contingent, Lanning’s voice wavered and she wiped away tears as she paid tribute to their input into her career.
“Firstly mum and dad, who are here, and my family,” Lanning said.
“You are out there as a cricketer I guess and you see the playing part, but they ride the emotions with you and they have always been there to support me no matter what and I am very thankful for that. So, thank you for that.
“Also my close circle of friends and friends generally who have supported me throughout, been there through the highs and lows of my career and I certainly would not have got through and been as successful as I was without you and I am very appreciative of everyone, I won’t be able to mention everyone but hopefully you know who you are.
“I wouldn’t have been as successful or been able to go out there and enjoy the game I love without that support.
“I would like to thank all the teammates I have played with for Australia, it has been a privilege to play with all of you.
“It’s been an incredible journey and I have loved every moment of playing for Australia and I will miss it, but it’s time to go and see what else is out there.”
The public emotion was a different side to the intensely private Lanning, who acknowledged her role as national skipper didn’t always fit alongside her nature to “keep things pretty close to my chest”.
But in keeping with her private character, Lanning did not shed any more light on her breaks from the game, or whether they contributed to her decision to retire from the international game.
Lanning took a break from cricket in 2022 after the inaugural Commonwealth Games gold before returning for the home summer and took more time away from the sport earlier this year for a medical issue, missing Australia’s successful retention of the Ashes in England.
“Over the last 18 months, I have taken a step back and it has given me the chance to see different things and I guess I have got a different perspective on how I saw the game and how I felt about playing it and the reasons as to why I was playing it,” Lanning said.
“I guess when your perspective changes a little bit, you think about things differently. I have taken some time out of the game and that gave me an opportunity to take a breath.
“It is something that I have been thinking about for a little while, I tried to make it work, I took some time to step away a little bit and be outside the cricket bubble and that has given me the opportunity to think about what else is out there.
“Realistically, it is probably something I have been thinking about for a while. I have come to the realisation that I have been probably trying to convince myself a little bit over the last 18 months why I should keep playing and what it is I want to achieve.”
Lanning will continue to play domestic cricket, but said she had not settled on any plans beyond that - either as a T20 gun for hire internationally, or if the commentary box would come calling.
“I will continue to play domestically, I have got contracts with some teams, so I will keep going with that. I have not thought too far ahead to be honest,” Lanning said.
“I certainly haven’t got anything worked out. It’s something I’ll have to work through, but I guess now I’ve got the freedom to explore different things and see what pans out.”
Lanning received a warm round of applause from the strong media contingent gathered for her retirement announcement following her 13-year international career.
The top-order star leaves the national team after 241 international appearances, in which she scored 17 centuries and captained Australia on 182 occasions.
Appointed captain at the age of just 21, she went on to lead the team to five World Cup crowns in a period of excellence for the Australian team.
Asked for her thoughts on who her successor should be long-term, Lanning said it was “not really her job” to anoint the team’s next leader, but had faith in the options within the team.
“There are some good young players coming through and (have) stepped up and I have got no doubt that whoever takes over will do an excellent job. They will learn a lot very quickly and hopefully take the team to wherever they want to go,” Lanning said.
“The players and leaders within that side will continue to grow the team and make sure we keep having success, but also are a great team of great people.”
Nominating the key moments of her career, Lanning said the 2017 World Cup had been a crucial moment for her as captain and the 2020 T20 World Cup a major highlight.
“It’s hard to pick one … 2017 at that World Cup didn’t go to plan and I look back at that and I think we learned so much - I learned so much - we probably wouldn’t have had the success that we had if that moment had not have happened,” Lanning said.
“While it was awful at the time, it was a really good reality check and I guess the successful five years post-that … it was a bit of magic coming together.
“That 2020 World Cup here in Australia, that final is certainly something I won’t forget - an incredible experience.”
More Coverage
Teen bolster rushed to England for one-day series
A 19-year-old quick with just one state match under his belt has been rushed to England as an understudy for Australia’s depleted one-day squad.
Healy takes Olympic legend to task over commentary slight
Swimming legend Ian Thorpe has found himself in the crosshair’s of Australian cricket great Alyssa Healy – who has taken umbrage at a piece of commentary from the Paris Olympics.