NEWS
Follow UsAustralian skipper Meg Lanning is among the game’s most decorated players having won four T20 World Cup trophies, three as a captain. After establishing her side as a dominant force in T20s, Lanning has recently set a new record in the 50-overs format by leading Australia to 23 consecutive ODI wins, beating the previous record of 21 wins set by Australian men’s team under Ricky Ponting.
Lanning next target is to lift the ODI World Cup next year in New Zealand, a trophy which has eluded her since 2017 after Australia were knocked out in the semifinal by India.
“This is going to be a hotly contested World Cup with quite a lot of teams doing well on the world stage. We're looking forward to that. We are a driven group, and a 50-over World Cup is something we don’t have, and we want to do everything we can to win that trophy, just like everyone else,” she told Sportstar on Monday.
The top-order batter also said that she was surprised after her side broke the record for most ODI wins last month when they beat New Zealand in the first match at Mount Maunganui.
“For us, it’s an interesting record because we play a lot of T20 games in between the ODIs so we can get quite lost sometimes. The media let us know it was happening. After the series, we sat down and reflected on the achievement. It reflects on the consistency of the side and our performances. A lot of people have put in a lot of hard work along the way, besides the players involved on the field. Looking back, we’ll certainly be proud of that achievement,” she said.
Lanning also felt the need for stronger teams across the world which will help the future of women’s game.
“Countries around the world getting stronger and this effort to facilitate that is important for women’s cricket to move forward. At the moment, we have Australia, India, New Zealand and England who are quite strong, not perfect, but stronger perhaps. We need the South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Pakistan to keep improving as well,” the 29-year old said.
The Australian skipper also stressed on the importance of domestic cricket for young female players in order to prepare for the highest level.
“We (Australian women) didn’t lose any domestic cricket and that’s really the pathway to get to international cricket, where younger players get a few games and gain some experience and perspective. Sometimes we tend to think of the national side and those contests but as long as the domestic cricket goes on, that will sort itself out,” Lanning said.