Australia captain Meg Lanning taking break from cricket for personal reasons

Australia’s World Cup-winning captain Meg Lanning is taking an indefinite period of leave from cricket due to personal reasons.

The 30-year-old will step away from the game with immediate effect and miss the upcoming edition of The Hundred, in which she had been due to represent Trent Rockets.

Lanning led her country to ICC World Cup glory in April following a 71-run victory over defending champions England in the final in Christchurch.

“After a busy couple of years, I’ve made the decision take a step back to enable me to spend time focusing on myself,” she said in a statement, released by Cricket Australia (CA).

“I’m grateful for the support of CA and my team-mates and ask that my privacy is respected during this time.”

A decision on Lanning’s participation in the Australian domestic summer will be made in due course.

Shawn Flegler, CA’s head of performance for women’s cricket, 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 kids.

“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.”