Australia skipper Meg Lanning had a great start to 2023 as she first led her nation to their record eighth ICC Women’s T20 World Cup title and then went on to finish as the highest run scorer of the maiden Women’s Premier League. It was due to Lanning’s sensational performance and leadership only that the Delhi Capitals (DC) reached the WPL final. However, Delhi lost the summit clash to eventual champions Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Brabourne Stadium.
Notably, WPL was the first-ever event to be started for women cricketers at such a grand level, and the Indian league has now become a big hit with its worldwide exposure. The tournament was watched globally by cricket enthusiasts marking a new beginning for women’s cricket. With prominent players participating in the WPL, it has also opened the doors for young women athletes to gain experience and improve their game.
Speaking about the success of the WPL on the BBC podcast Stumped, Lanning shed light on the impact of the tournament other than its financial aspect. She talked about how WPL will speed up the competition and grow the standards of women’s cricket on a global level.
“One of the things we talk about a lot in the Australian team is trying to have an impact on the global stage. We play the game because we love it and we want to keep improving it and carry on growing the game,” said Lanning.
“Tournaments like this (WPL) will speed that up a fair bit. As an Australian team we think it is important the global game is growing. It is not just about us winning all the time. We want to win all the time. There’s no doubt about that, but there is more at play that just that,” she added.
Lanning has successfully led Australia to four T20 World Cups, one ODI World Cup, three Ashes and the 2022 Commonwealth Games triumph in the past few years, which makes her the most decorated captain in the history of cricket.
The Aussie skipper even expressed her desire to play more cricket and stated: “I can’t see any reason why I can’t play for four or five more years, it is just whether that is something I want to do. I haven’t thought too much. But especially with new opportunities like the WPL coming up, you really want to be part of that.”
