Greatness doesn’t only come to those who persist. Rather, it comes to those who persist irrespective of the situations around them, with a sense of positivity and consistency. In Meg Lanning’s case, truth be told, the term greatness seems to find its ultimate fit.
At a time when much of the focus surrounding Australian cricket seemed to perpetually rest on the might and excellence of champions that Ricky Ponting led throughout the 2000s, Meg Lanning, through sheer craft and magnetism, ensured that attention and conversation surrounded her team of champion women cricketers as well.
By the time Ponting’s swansong year arrived in 2012 in international cricket, Meg Lanning had already become a stable figure in the annals of Australian women’s cricket (having debuted in 2010).
The careful right-handed batter combined a strong sense of focus with technical correctness—a measured batting approach that was evident for well over a decade and extended its impact across all formats of the game.
But who would have thought that the 18-year-old Lanning, who made her debut in January 2011 against the England Women’s Cricket Team, would not only go on to author a long, storied career but also lead Australia to some of its most respected achievements in the evolution of women’s cricket?
Far from being a cricketer who relied solely on big hitting or someone who played like a bottle rocket from ball one, Lanning based her game on sustained focus and excelled by remaining composed under pressure.
Her playing style, in particular her batsmanship, was effective across conditions—whether scoring in India, Pakistan, South Africa’s bouncy pitches, Sri Lanka’s turning tracks, or the slower surfaces of the Caribbean.
That being said, Meg Lanning’s impact didn’t just come by way of tall numbers—4,600+ ODI runs and 3,400+ T20I runs (including 17 international centuries).
It extended further by transforming a talented Australian women’s side into a group of world-beating performers—giants, as many would reckon.
Today, a large part of Ellyse Perry, Alyssa Healy, and Beth Mooney’s careers has flourished in the environment of confidence and excellence that Meg Lanning helped create.
In some sense, one could say that Meg Lanning carried forward the baton of excellence in Australian women’s cricket from the era of Belinda Clark to the era of Alyssa Healy, who recently called time on her Australian journey.
Throughout, Lanning remained a pillar of stability marked by unfettered excellence.
She handled the daunting pace of stalwarts like Shabnim Ismail and Katherine Brunt, as well as the trailblazing spin of Sune Luus and Sophie Ecclestone, with focus and precise timing.
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Perhaps what allowed Lanning to play for as long as she did and succeed around the world was that her batting wasn’t marked by needless risks or impulsive strokes; there was always a sense of purpose and that undeniable element of Australian pride in everything she did—whether as a batter or as a captain and leader.
Her success as a leader is punctuated by achievements that cannot be denied or undermined:
Meg Lanning built one of the most remarkable leadership legacies in cricket history, guiding Australia to five ICC titles as captain—four ICC Women’s T20 World Cups (2014, 2018, 2020, 2023) and the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2022.
Under her calm, composed leadership, Australia didn’t just win—they dominated across formats and eras.
But her success wasn’t limited to captaincy alone.
As a player, Lanning was also part of Australia’s 2013 ODI World Cup triumph and the 2012 T20 World Cup victory, taking her overall ICC tally to seven.
This blend of individual brilliance and exceptional leadership highlights a career defined by consistency, longevity, and an unmatched winning mindset—cementing her status as one of the most successful figures the game has ever seen, or perhaps will ever see.
Happy 34th, you superstar, Meg Lanning!
