WNCL 2023-24: Australia captain Meg Lanning to return to Victoria

Australia captain Meg Lanning is all set to make her return to cricket in the WNCL 2023-24 (Women's National Cricket League) as she was included in the squad for Victoria. She was named in the roster for their first two matches against Western Australia in Perth on September 26 and 28, respectively.

The top-order batter needs a final approval from Victoria's medical staff before she is cleared to play in the opening match. However, she will tour to Perth to feature in her first competitive match since March 2023. Notably, the 31-year-old missed the women's Ashes series this summer due to an undisclosed medical issue.

The opening batter has not played for the national side since the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in February and has not played any match since the Women's Premier League (WPL) in March. Moreover, she was not included in Australia's squad for the forthcoming home white-ball series against West Indies.

Shawn Flegler, Australia's women's national selector, stated that Lanning would return to domestic cricket first. He added that the right-handed batter is progressing well and the team is eager for her return.

"We're hopeful that she'll come through domestic cricket first up, and we'll see how things progress through there. She was up at the Sunshine Coast, and we caught up there. She's progressing well. Just part of that return-to-play plan, we're keen for her to come back through domestic cricket first and see how she goes with that but she's going well, Meg. Very hopeful that she's back on deck at some point during the summer for Australia," Flegler said earlier in September.

Victoria Women have also included Ellyse Perry in the squad to make her comeback having missed the final ODI against Ireland and the Women's Hundred owing to a knee injury.

"Having the likes of Kim [Garth], Ellyse, Georgia [Wareham] and Annabel [Sutherland] available provides a big boost, with the quality and experience they provide. It has also been great to have Meg back with the squad and we are thrilled that she will be joining the group travelling to WA," Cricket Victoria's head of female cricket, Sharelle McMahon said.