Premier Australia batter Meg Lanning is all set to miss the upcoming season of the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) and there are no signs to indicate that she would ever return to action.
The WBBL is just a couple of weeks from commencing with Melbourne Stars - the team Lanning represents - set to play their first game on October 15.
A report in Sydney Morning Herald, says that Lanning does not miss playing the game at a professional level as much as she did and it has forced her to reflect on her future.
The 30-year-old has been an ever-present figure in the Australian dressing room for the last 14 years and while she took some time to adjust after being appointed captain in 2014, she has turned the team into worldbeaters, that includes winning a couple of T20 World Cups and more recently the Commonwealth Games.
She announced an indefinite break from the game after the CWG in Birmingham. Since then, their head coach Matthew Mott has quit to join the England men's team, while her trusted deputy Rachel Haynes too has announced retirement.
“Meg is having a break from the game and we are giving her that space,” Australia’s new head coach Shelley Nitschke said last week.
“When the time is right we’ll have those conversations about whether she is back in December or whenever it might be.″
Lanning had also given up the captaincy of Victoria to Sophie Molineux ahead of the Games, but Blair Crouch, the GM of Melbourne Stars had indicated that they will give her all the time and support she needed.
“We’re fully supportive of Meg’s desire to have a break from cricket, and we will give her all the time, support and space she needs,” he said.
Australia's next assignment is the tour of India, where they will play five T20Is. That will be followed by a white-ball series against Pakistan at home.
Considered to be one of the greatest batters of all time, Lanning has scored over 8,000 international runs from 230 matches for Australia.