Meg Lanning Retires from International Cricket

Australian women's cricket captain Meg Lanning, called the "Megastar" for her spectacular career, announced her retirement from international cricket on November 8 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The 31-year-old, who has led Australia to unparalleled success, including four Twenty20 World Cup championships, a 50-over World Cup victory, and a Commonwealth Games gold medal, has stated that she believes she has "nothing left to achieve" on the international scene.

Meg, a top-order hitter, was also an outspoken advocate for women pay equity in professional cricket. After 13 years of international cricket and 182 times as captain of her country, she said, "I can't be half-in or half-out with anything, and I guess that's where I've landed with this decision."

Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley commended Meg as "one of the finest cricketers Australia has produced" and credited her with leading the Australian women's cricket team to worldwide domination. Meg holds the record for the most one-day centuries by a woman and led Australia to a record-breaking 26 straight one-day victories.

While Meg will no longer play international cricket, she will continue to compete in domestic tournaments. The cricket world now awaits the appointment of her long-term replacement as captain of Australia's women's cricket team.