The Australian Women’s team has encountered a major setback prior to the Ashes series, as their captain Meg Lanning has been declared unfit for the tour on Saturday morning. Cricket Australia (CA) has announced that Lanning will no longer be part of the squad due to a ‘medical issue’. The medical staff associated with the Australian team has advised her to remain at home as part of her ongoing management. The exact timeframe for her return is currently uncertain.
Notably, Lanning had taken a break for mental health reasons in the latter part of the previous year. However, she made a comeback to the national team in January 2023 and successfully led Australia to victory in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in February. The Singapore-born Aussie cricketer won’t be directly replaced in the squad. Australia A will also be touring the UK in June and July and players will be selected from the Australia A squad as needed.
Shawn Flegler, the Head of Performance for Women’s Cricket in Australia, expressed his thoughts on Lanning’s absence, describing it as an unfortunate setback for her. However, he emphasized that the team is fully supportive of the national captain as she perseveres on her journey towards making a comeback.
“It’s an unfortunate setback for Meg and she is obviously disappointed to have been ruled out of the Ashes; it’s a significant series for the team and she’ll be missed, but she understands the need to put her health first. Meg will remain at home where she will continue to work with medical staff with the aim to return to playing as soon as possible,” Flegler said as quoted by cricket.com.au.
Replacing Lanning, Alyssa Healy will assume the captaincy of the women’s team for the Ashes Series, with Tahlia McGrath serving as vice-captain. The women’s Ashes is set to commence on June 22, starting with the solitary Test match against England in Nottingham. Following the one-off Test, both teams will engage in a series of white-ball contests, consisting of three T20Is and three ODIs, as part of the multi-format series.
Updated Squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
