Meg Lanning is never one to give much away. An intensely private person, she is known for predictable answers in interviews and her dislike of team meetings.
She is a woman of few words and for years has appeared something of a cricket machine. Aside from a brief stint on the sidelines for shoulder surgery after the 2017 World Cup, Lanning has been an ever-present figure in the game since her debut in late 2010 at just 18 years of age.
Throughout her time in the team, the profile of women’s cricket has risen exponentially, exposing Lanning to greater levels of media and public attention – something that has never appeared to quite sit comfortably with a player who would rather let her actions on the cricket field do the talking.
It was perhaps surprising then, that she was asked to take on more responsibility and visibility in January 2014 when, after the retirement of Jodie Fields, Lanning was thrust into the captaincy at age 21, having had never held a leadership position at any level before.