Meg Lanning glad to have helped others after sharing struggles with her health, rules out international return

When all-time cricket great Meg Lanning opened up about an ‘unhealthy relationship’ with food and exercise six months ago, she never imagined the impact it would have on everyday people - until they made it known to the former Australian captain.

Meg Lanning has revealed members of the public have approached her to discuss their own journeys since she detailed her “unhealthy relationship” with food and exercise six months ago.

But while the former Australian captain and all-time great of women’s cricket concedes she has missed certain elements of international cricket, she has shut the door on a potential comeback despite continuing to play strongly at domestic level.

Lanning took several breaks from the game before eventually announcing her international retirement last year.

Highly guarded for much of her career, Lanning appeared in an April episode of The Howie Games, opening up on how she had “spiralled” to the extent that she was eating just two “not significant” meals per day while running as many as 90 kilometres per week.

Lanning near tears during her retirement announcement in November 2023. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Lanning, 32, said people had since come up to her to share their own struggles.

“There’s definitely been little conversations here and there, quite a few people saying that they’ve listened to it and parts that resonated with them or someone that they knew,” Lanning told this masthead.

“That wasn’t necessarily reason why I did it. I guess it was just more about being a bit more open about it. And I guess it’s easy when you’re playing at the elite level and in the public eye to pretend or look like everything’s all under control.

“I feel like I got quite good at that. Yeah. And I think a lot of people would be in a similar boat, keeping the cards close to their chest. But I guess it’s more about just being open and showing that everyone’s sort of got something going on and that’s okay, rather than putting on the mask all the time. It gets pretty exhausting I think if you do that all the time. So, yeah, I guess it’s nice when people do come up and say that it was helpful in some way for them.”

The champion batter continues to play for the Melbourne Stars and Victoria as well as franchise cricket overseas, but despite keeping a close eye on the performances of the Australian side during the current Twenty20 World Cup in the UAE – broadcast on Prime Video where she is an ambassador – Lanning is adamant there will be no comeback to international level.

Meg Lanning playing for Victoria this season. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

“That’s ship’s sailed,” Lanning said.

“I’ve made the call, and I’m very content with that. I feel like I achieved everything that I wanted to.

“There’s certain parts of it that I miss, the big games in the tournament, the sort of situations I thrived in and really wanted to be part of and do well in. So yeah, certainly times that it might just be nice to be out there. But then I think about everything else that comes with it, and the time away from home, and everything else involved, and I’m very happy to be sitting on the couch watching. It’s a different experience. I’m still I guess settling into the new sort of routine for me of having a bit more time and what that looks like, but I’m enjoying it. It’s nice for me to spend some time with family, friends, be a little bit more relaxed than maybe what it has been in the past. Just do a few different things as well. It’s been different. But still happy to be watching the girls.”

Lanning said she had not spoken to current captain Alyssa Healy since the latter hurt her foot in the win over India and was unsure whether Healy would be fit to face South Africa in a semi-final on Friday morning (AEDT).

“The complication might be that the outfield seemed really quite big and slow. So that’s not ideal if you’ve got a foot injury I guess, so I don’t know whether that might come into it or not. I don’t think it’s about being 100 per cent, it’s just about being able to play the role that she needs to, to be able to help the team.”