Meg Lanning to miss WBBL

Australian captain Meg Lanning will miss the upcoming season of the Women’s Big Bash League as she continues to take a break from the game.

Melbourne Stars captain stepped away from the game a few months ago following her triumph in the Commonwealth Games.

Lanning led the team to yet another major victory and announced that she would be taking a break from the game. She has put no timeline on her return.

“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,” she announced in a statement in August.

Lanning has been a major part of Stars after being recruited by them. Before Stars, she played for Perth Scorchers during her WBBL stint. In her WBBL career, Lanning has notched up 2725 runs at 42.57 in 78 appearances.

CA head of performance, 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 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.”

Melbourne Stars are likely to announce their captain within this week.