Melbourne, 26 May (H.S.): Former Australian captain Meg Lanning has decided not to take up a contract with Victoria for the upcoming season and will now be seen playing as a freelance cricketer.

Even after retiring from international cricket, Lanning had remained part of the Victoria setup, but she played only four matches for the team last season. She did not feature in any matches following the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL).

Meg Lanning is currently active in various franchise leagues around the world. She has played for UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), Manchester Originals in The Hundred, and also participated for Lancashire in the T20 Blast this season.

Lanning is currently not contracted with the Melbourne Stars either. However, in the previous WBBL season, she was the team’s second-highest run-scorer, amassing 479 runs at an average of 53.22 and a strike rate of 136.07.

Cricket Victoria’s Head of Women’s Cricket, Kirby Short, said in an official statement on Tuesday: “We respect Meg’s decision. Women’s cricket is evolving rapidly, and players now have opportunities to play across the world. This is a positive sign for the growth of the game.”

Kirby Short also acknowledged that the 2025–26 season was highly disappointing for Victoria, where the team lost all 12 of its matches.

She said, “We cannot be proud of last season’s results and we know we need to improve. However, after review, there is now a clear understanding of building a positive environment among players and support staff.”

She further added that the team aims to improve gradually and is not expecting overnight transformation.

Victoria Women’s Team 2026–27 Squad

Ira Arya, Sophie Day, Samara Doolan, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Kim Garth, Hasrat Gill, Olivia Henry, Millie Illingworth, Rhys McKenna, Sophie Molineux, Indigo Noble, Mia Perrin, Georgia Prestwidge, Josie Samuel, Molly Strano, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham, and Bronte Lee.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar