Six contenders to replace Meg Lanning in Australia’s cricket squads
Meg Lanning has been a mainstay in the Australian side since 2010, so who’s next in line to replace the sporting great? TIM MICHELL analyses the next steps for the all-conquering team.
Once the well-deserved celebrations of Meg Lanning’s extraordinary career end, the ruthless nature of international sport will dictate that attention turns to her successor.
Not just as Australian captain, where Alyssa Healy seems a certain replacement, but also in Australia’s top-order.
Lanning has been a mainstay of the Australian side since she debuted in 2010, amassing more than 8000 international runs and a reputation as one of the country’s most successful sporting captains ever.
The Australian team got a taste of what life without Lanning would be like during the 2023 Ashes, which she missed due to medical reasons.
But at that point, it was always likely a matter of when - not if - she would return.
Phoebe Litchfield opened with Healy in the three one-day games against England, while Beth Mooney partnered the Aussie wicketkeeper in the T20 series.
In the one-off Test match, Mooney and Litchfield opened the batting, with Healy shuffling to No.6.
The squad for that series underlined how blessed Australia’s selectors are as they plot the all-conquering team’s next era.
Megan Schutt did not feature in the Test match, while Grace Harris was not required during the ODI matches.
Although the gap is closing between Australia and nations such as England and India, the dominance of Lanning and Healy’s teams has put selectors in a luxurious position.
Litchfield to the top of the order fulltime looks assured.
At 20, she has played 17 internationals, and averages 49 in one-day and T20 games.
Harris, 30, has proven she is one of the world’s premier hitters in white-ball cricket and will give selectors a powerful top-order option when required.
The wildcards in the discussion are Adelaide Strikers pair Katie Mack and Bridget Patterson, while Georgia Voll and Maddy Darke would be a lead contenders if selectors chose to blood a player on the rise.
Prolific Brisbane Heat opener Georgia Redmayne and former Aussie batter Ellyse Villani would be others in the mix.
Villani would be the outsider of the field at 34, but boasts 99 matches of international experience and continues to be prolific in domestic cricket.
The other option open to selectors thanks to Australia’s wealth of all-round talent would be to elevate a player such as Annabel Sutherland and pick an extra bowler.
Sutherland made an unbeaten 137 from No.8 against England in June.
As of Thursday, Mack was the leading run scorer in WBBL09, continuing a golden run she has enjoyed in the past three summers.
Only Mooney (1201 runs) has more runs than Mack (1179) since the start of WBBL07.
Ellyse Perry is the only other batter with more than 1000 WBBL runs in the past three seasons, putting Mack in esteemed company.
Having turned 30 in September, she wouldn’t be the long-term replacement a player such as Voll would be.
But Mack would bring experience and leadership to fill the void left by Lanning, having led ACT for the past two seasons.
Her ACT teammate and fellow top-order batter Rebecca Carter has no doubt Mack is ready for national honours.
“We have probably been saying it for a couple of years, that she should be in there. But we might be a little biased,” Carter said.
“If you keep making runs, you’re hard to turn down. She’s probably a victim of the country that she’s in. But in our humble opinion, we think she should be in there.”
Mack has not played an international, but was named in the Australia A squad to face England last year.
“I can’t see a world where if she gets the opportunity, she doesn’t fit in and look like she’s been there for probably her whole career,” Carter said.
SIX CONTENDERS TO REPLACE MEG LANNING IN AUSTRALIA’S SQUAD
1. Katie Mack
Only Beth Mooney has made more runs in the WBBL in the past three seasons. Mack leads ACT in domestic cricket, so would help fill the leadership vacuum left by Lanning.
2. Georgia Redmayne
Clearly in the thoughts of Australian selectors after being a reserve for last year’s World Cup. Ranks sixth for runs in the WNCL this season and had scored 354 runs after 12 innings in WBBL08.
3. Bridget Patterson
A left-field contender who would be a middle-order option if Litchfield is permanently elevated. She ranks fourth for total runs in the WNCL this season and is averaging more than 30 for Adelaide Strikers in WBBL09.
4. Ellyse Villani
Her cards appear to be stamped, having not played an international since March, 2019. But no-one can question her credentials. Villani would bring almost 100 international caps to the squad to help replace Lanning’s experience.
5. Georgia Voll
If the selectors want to blood a player for the future, Voll would be right near the front of the queue. At 20 years of age, the Queenslander already has more than 800 WBBL runs to her name.
6. Maddy Darke
She would be a serious bolter if she came into contention, but Darke has put herself on the map this season. She has more than 150 runs in seven WBBL innings and is fifth for total runs with an average of 63 in the WNCL. The WA keeper might be a more likely successor to Alyssa Healy than Lanning and has huge scope to improve at only 22 years of age.
More Coverage
Mum’s the word on Healy’s future
All-conquering Australian skipper is likely on the last lap of her international cricket career as family life beckons.
Aussies flag shake-up amid fresh embarrassment-of-riches headache
Australia will ‘100 per cent’ shake up their batting line-up for June’s World Test Championship final, as they wrestle with the stunning Test cricket arrivals of Josh Inglis and Sam Konstas.