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Australia Women captain Meg Lanning is set to miss the upcoming Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) with Melbourne Stars as she continues her indefinite break from the game. Notably, after leading Australia to Commonwealth Games Gold in Birmingham, Lanning last month announced she was stepping away from cricket.
“After a busy couple of years, I’ve made the decision to take a step back to enable me to spend time focusing on myself. I’m grateful for the support of CA and my teammates and ask that my privacy is respected during this time,” Lanning said in a statement.
In the absence of Lanning, the Stars will need to find a new captain for their campaign, which starts on October 15 against Brisbane Heat. Earlier this year, Lanning had handed over the captaincy of Victoria to Sophie Molineux.
“Melbourne Stars Captain Meg Lanning will continue her indefinite break from cricket and will not play in WBBL|08. The club respects her decision and asks that her privacy continue to be respected,” Stars said in a release.
Not to mention, Lanning is the biggest name and most reliable performer in the WBBL. In 54 WBBL matches across four seasons, she has amassed 1,805 runs at an average of 41.97, with 18 half-centuries.
“We are proud of Meg for acknowledging that she needs a break and will continue to support her during this time. She has been an incredible contributor to Australian cricket over the last decade, achieving remarkable feats both individually and as part of the team, and has been a brilliant role model for young kids. The welfare of our players is always our number one priority, and we will continue to work with Meg to ensure she gets the support and space she needs,” said Shawn Flegler, CA’s Head of Performance, Women’s Cricket, as quoted by Cricket.com.au.
Speaking about Melbourne’s team combination, they have overseas recruitment of three top-order players in the form of Indian star Jemimah Rodrigues and English pair of Alice Capsey and Lauren Winfield-Hill.
Melbourne Stars current WBBL|08 squad:
Alice Capsey (ENG), Lucy Cripps, Sophie Day, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Kim Garth, Rhys McKenna, Sasha Moloney, Sophie Reid, Jemimah Rodrigues (IND), Annabel Sutherland, Lauren Winfield-Hill (ENG)
