AUSTRALIA captain Meg Lanning has announced she is taking an indefinite break from the game, “effective immediately”, for personal reasons.
The 30-year-old says she is taking the time to focus on herself after a “busy couple of years”.
The news comes days after Lanning led her country to Commonwealth Games gold.
“After a busy couple of years, I’ve made the decision take a step back to enable me to spend time focusing on myself,” Lanning said.
The two-time Cricket World Cup winner added: “I’m grateful for the support of Cricket Australia (CA) and my team-mates and ask that my privacy is respected during this time.”
Lanning will miss the upcoming Hundred tournament, in which she was due to represent Trent Rockets.
“We’re naturally disappointed that Meg won’t be playing for us this year, but she has our total support as she takes a break from cricket,” Trent Rockets said.
“We wish her all the best. The rest of the Rockets Women’s team are excited to get their Hundred season under way tomorrow.”
Ireland all-rounder Kim Garth will replace Lanning for the Rockets.
A decision on the four-time ICC T20 World Cup winner’s participation in the Australian domestic summer will be made in due course.
CA head of performance for women’s cricket Shawn Flegler said: “We’re proud of Meg for acknowledging that she needs a break and will continue to support her during this time.
“She’s 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 ones.
“The welfare of our players is always our number one priority and we’ll continue to work with Meg to ensure she gets the support and space she needs.”
(BBC Sport)
