Meg Lanning: Being role model right pitch for cricketer

Australian women’s cricket captain Meg Lanning has achieved almost everything cricket has to offer.

Australian women’s cricket cap­tain­ Meg Lanning. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

Australian women’s cricket cap­tain­ Meg Lanning has achieved almost everything cricket has to offer. But the chance for her and her teammates to be role models for the next generation of female cricketers is one of the “best changes” she’s seen in her career.

Like many Australian children, Lanning, 27, says her first memory­ of playing cricket is in her backyard. As one of five children­, finding a game was never difficult: Lanning would bat, her sister Anna would bowl.

Yet when she started high school in Melbourne at Carey Grammar, the lack of a girls’ team meant Lanning was faced with the prospect of not being able to play. Instead, she turned out for the Carey Grammar boys’ team in the Associated Private School competition.

“The boys were a little taken aback initially,” the Australian captain said. “But once they saw I was at their level, they were fine with it.

“On reflection, I think the experienc­e was really good for my development, both personally and as a cricket player.”

Almost 15 years later, Lanning has conquered the heights of women’s cricket, domestically and internationally. At the age of 18, she became the youngest Australian — male or female — to score an international century. By the time she turned 23, Lanning had won the ICC Women’s T20 and ODI Cricketer of the Year and captaine­d ­the Australian side.

For her outstanding leadership and for inspiring cricketers across the country, Lanning is nominated for The Australian’s Australian of the Year award.

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The success of the Women’s Big Bash League has drawn big crowds to grounds across Australia, as well as television audiences.

Lanning says that one of the biggest changes she’s seen in her career is the number of women who are inspirations for young girl cricketers.

“It’s one of the best changes I’ve seen. Growing up we didn’t really have many role models, now girls can see Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy running around on their TV,” she said.

“It’s amazing to be a small part of the inspiration for the next generation.”

As captain, Lanning has led her Australian side to becoming world No 1, trashing Sri Lanka, England and the West Indies along the way, but Lanning says the team isn’t resting on its laurels. Defending its women’s T20 World Cup on home soil in March is next on the agenda.

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] or going to our website, theaustralian.com.au. Nominations close on Thursday, January 23.