Sports icons : Meg Lanning announces shock retirement from international cricket , her achievements & video

 

One of the greatest  women cricketers of the modern era , a premier batter and a legendary captain Meg Lanning has announced her sudden retirement from international cricket at a young age of 31   . Meg who has won 7 world cups in her 13 year old career and 6 as captain had taken two extended breaks in the last 2 years and now she has said that she does not have the drive to play international cricket any more .

Meg has won 6 T20I World cups (4 as captain )  and one ODI world cup and is regarded as an all time great captain . She led an invincible Australian women cricket team which won many titles under her leadership .

As a batter Meg has scored  4602 runs in 103 WODIs at a high 53.51 average and 92 strike rate with 15 centuries and 21 half centuries with a top score of 152 not out . In 132 WT20Is she scored 3405 runs at 36.61 average and 116 strike rate with 2 centuries and a top score of 133 not out .  In 6 tests Meg scored 345 runs at 31.36 average with 2 fifties and a top score of 93. 

Meg won 146 matches out of 179 as captain . She won Ashes series both at home and away and also won the Commonwealth Games gold in 2022 .

Meg has the highest number of 100s in women's international cricket with 17 and no current cricketer apart from the aging  Suzie Bates is close 

This retirement as come as a shock to the cricket world as after her break Meg had started to play in the WBBL and was widely expected to lead the Australia team on the  tour of India in December. 

Meg Lanning tried to rekindle the fire for international cricket, but finally admitted to herself it was time for a new phase of life.

"Realistically, it's something I've been thinking about for a while," an emotional Lanning, who broke down in tears while thanking her close-knit family for their support, told reporters outside the MCG today.

"I've come to the realisation that I've probably been trying to convince myself a little bit over the last 18 months why I should keep playing and what it is that I want to achieve.

"I'm not someone who can do things half in, half out (and) I've battled away a little bit trying to work all that out.

"But it became quite clear, particularly in the last couple of days, that this was the right call and what I'm ready for ... it's time.

"And since I've made the decision, I've felt a little bit relieved to have made a call and be a little bit clearer on what the next little bit looks like." Lannimg said.

Meg Lanning was a great batter to watch . Good off the backfoot she has a great cut shot and plays the pulls & flicks superbly

Watch the below video in which Lanning scored an ODI century vs New Zealand at Rose Bowl .

Courtesy cricket Australia